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How did PROBONO come about?
PROBONO was founded in 2004 by Andrea Alleker-Fendel. As a political scientist with experience in development cooperation and as a mother of three children, she asked herself: How can development be promoted in a truly sustainable way? How can we not only improve educational and life opportunities in the South, but also bring about lasting change in our perceptions and behavior in the North? And how can we involve young people in this process, promoting their social and global thinking and action?
Her answer is school partnerships. “It was very important to me,” says Andrea Alleker-Fendel, "that we not only support schools in the South, but that our children and young people in Germany are also involved, developing respect and tolerance for other cultures and becoming sensitized to issues of global justice. Without a change in our thinking here in the North, our One World cannot grow together. Only together can the countries of the world shape issues such as poverty reduction, environmental and climate protection, stability, and peacekeeping, and only together can we work for a more just world."
What began as a small, initially purely voluntary initiative has developed over more than two decades of dedication, creativity, and energy into a recognized organization in development cooperation and educational support. Today, the PROBONO team consists of 15 regular and volunteer staff in Germany and Africa, supports several dozen school partnerships, and has implemented over 600 projects in schools in East Africa.
Our greatest asset is our long-standing and competent employees and cooperation partners on site in Tanzania and Uganda. They supervise the projects at the schools, ensure that the aid reaches where it is needed, and are important mediators in intercultural communication. Transparency and control on site are also ensured by regular visits from PROBONO employees from Germany.
What motivates PROBONO?
For more than 20 years, PROBONO has been committed to helping people in countries in the Global South. We believe that promoting education is key to overcoming poverty, discrimination, oppression, and corruption, and to strengthening democracy and sustainable development.
PROBONO...
- supports schools in East Africa according to the principle of “helping people help themselves.”
- is committed to changing attitudes in our society in order to promote a climate of tolerance and understanding for foreign cultures and to strengthen the sense of responsibility for the problems in the Global South.
- promotes intercultural understanding between young people from different cultures.
- contributes to sustainable development together with schoolchildren from Germany.
