Tutzinger school sponsorship in Togo

Created: 12/18/2022, 7:07 p.m

The certificate seals the school partnership between the Gymnasium Tutzing and a school in West African Togo.

There were (from left) Headmaster Andreas Thalmaier, Chairman of the Parents' Council Dr.

Karl Kolmsee, Mayor Marlene Greinwald, Sibylle Jendrowiak from "Children's Aid Global" and the students Rosa Tauber, Lara Sundermann, Antonia Haes, Tristan Martin, Magdalena Pain, Marlene Eitelwei and Lara Heineke.

© andrea jaksch

On the initiative of the students, the Tutzing High School has taken on the sponsorship of a school in Togo, West Africa.

The certificate was signed yesterday during a celebratory event.

Tutzing

– Sibylle Jendrowiak had come all the way from Lower Saxony.

"In our experience, school partnerships are more the exception than the rule," said the chairwoman of the organization "Children's Aid Global" this Friday in the Tutzinger Würmseehalle.

The association, which was founded in 2021, now supports 14 school partnerships – all with Indian schools.

Now one has been added in West African Togo, in the small town of Nargbal.

The German partner is the Gymnasium Tutzing.

It was the first sponsorship initiated by schoolchildren, said Sibylle Jendrowiak, impressed.

Yesterday, all the students of the high school came together in the Würmseehalle, along with representatives of the school, parents, the community and the district, to see the signing of the sponsorship certificate.

He has never seen the whole school family come together in one place, said senior director Andreas Thalmaier.

There were also video messages from celebrities who have assumed patronage of the project: rock singer Peter Maffay, who lives in Tutzing, actress Michaela May, cabaret artist Hannes Ringlstetter and presenter Carolin Matzko congratulated the young people on their commitment.

Thalmaier described the project as a sign of how the school family can stand together and achieve great things.

In the remote village of Nargbal in the Guérin Kouka district, an old school made of sticks and palm mats has been replaced with a better school building with donations from Germany.

But practically everything is missing: benches, blackboards, books, writing materials.

Many parents are illiterate, they can hardly feed their numerous children.

In addition, there is almost no medical care.

Father Marian Schwark from the Catholic Order of Steyler has campaigned very hard for an infirmary.

The women fetch dirty water - a source of disease - from distant rivers.

The children's aid is therefore drilling a deep well.

It was as quiet as a mouse in the Würmseehalle when the project managers Lara Heineke, Antonia Haes and Magdalena Pain reported on everything.

There have already been several actions by the people of Tutzing, such as selling places at the Advent market and a raffle with proceeds of more than 1000 euros.

There are already quite concrete further plans, contacts and pen pals with the African children are expected.

Father Marian Schwark and the mayor of Guerin-Kouka, André Beguem, sent video messages and signed the sponsorship document in advance.

Head of studies Andreas Thalmaier, Sibylle Jendrowiak and the project managers followed on stage with their signatures, while the high school's big band, conducted by Stephan Beck, played the swing classic "Take the A-Train".

The deputy Starnberg district administrator Matthias Vilsmayer mentioned the partnerships of the district of Starnberg, from the district of Bad Dürkheim to Taiwan.

Many friendships were formed there, including among students.

"Our district has also benefited from it," said Vilsmayer: "It's great that you initiated this project as a young generation." Tutzing's mayor Marlene Greinwald was "infinitely proud and deeply touched".

"If your parents tell you to take care of yourselves, tell them that empathy and social skills are the key to a happy, prosperous and secure life."

Lorenz Goslich