15.02.2008 Formel D supports children’s home in Brazil
“My visit to the IAKAP facility was a brief, but intense and certainly unforgettable experience. The institution offers various services for children and their families. Children as young as one year receive all-day care in a kindergarten, learning to be part of a community as they play, while children up to the age of six are specifically prepared for their subsequent education at a neighbouring state school. This enables an above-average number of previously disadvantaged children to successfully complete their schooling. Daily meals for the children and regular baths are equally part of the programme as is the support provided by IAKAP pedagogues. The children reacted to me, the stranger, with curiosity, were open and friendly. I had the pleasure of meeting children who approach their day joyfully and full of life, and observe their environment attentively, openly and positively.
What seems equally important to me is that families receive medical care at the facility. The volunteer doctors working here are doing a truly marvellous job. Workshops for adults also add to the programme. Parents are trained for example in gardening or foreign languages in order to open up ways into employment and a regular income for them. I was very impressed with the overall concept of the IAKAP. Ultimately, children can only attend school successfully if their parents are earning the family’s income. I believe there are only very few so concrete ways of investing in a long-term model to prevent poverty. I will certainly be visiting the facility again on future journeys to Brazil, and also consider my support a very personal obligation."