Prince Ludwig of Bavaria turns 40: a milestone birthday for a good cause

Created: 06/15/2022Updated: 06/15/2022 10:11 am

By: Cornelia Schramm

Round anniversary: ​​Prince Ludwig of Bavaria is 40 years old.

© Peter Weber

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria is 40 years old.

The Wittelsbacher doesn't celebrate his "laps" with a pompous party - but quite differently.

Munich – Prince Ludwig of Bavaria celebrated his birthday for the last time 22 years ago.

"On my 18th birthday, my parents organized a big party for me," he says.

Prince Ludwig turned 40 on Tuesday.

He received guests at Nymphenburg Palace – but not to celebrate himself, as he says.

"I've never liked celebrating my birthday.

This year, too, I prefer to use this day to draw attention to something more important.” What is important to the prince is Africa – and his aid projects in Kenya.

Commitment in Africa: Prince Ludwig has been supporting the “Learning Lions” for ten years

Even without a birthday party, Prince Ludwig had to unpack many packages at Nymphenburg Palace in the last few days: Artists from Africa sent 20 paintings to Bavaria.

"The Nymphenburg Aid Association called for a painting and storytelling competition," explains the prince, who heads the association.

"By auctioning the most creative works, we raise funds for the Learning Lions and the Wakanda Girls."

That's the name of the educational projects that Prince Ludwig oversees in Kenya.

"I was last there in May," he says.

"And I'm going back in July." The Learning Lions program has young Africans living and learning on a campus in the Turkana desert.

You will acquire IT skills such as graphic design or programming websites.

They earn their money with the digital work.

Global corporations such as Google and Ebay support the initiative.

Prince Ludwig has accompanied the Learning Lions for ten years.

The Wakanda Girls are a newer project.

"For two years we have been building a girls' school that is fully digitally equipped.

In addition to school education, technical skills should be taught at the same time.” Women who are successful with the Learning Lions become mentors.

Upon graduation, Wakanda Girls are eligible to become Learning Lions.

"The girls get future prospects and don't end up in forced marriages, for example."

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Prince Ludwig on Africa: "We must not look at the continent from above"

For the prince, education and digitality are the most important levers for advancing Africa's development.

“We must not look down on the continent from above, we must meet it at eye level.

There are many talented young people there who can advance their country.” And they need role models from their own ranks, such as the architect Francis Kéré.

The 57-year-old was awarded the Pritzker Prize, an important architectural prize, and also designed the main house of the Learning Lions.

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Under the motto "Africa of the Future", Kéré and Prince Ludwig provided information on Africa's potential on Tuesday.

The auctioned paintings also show models of the future: a nomad robot that looks after cows, Africans that conquer space, and machines that put fish in empty lakes.

Perhaps all this will soon no longer be a dream of the future.