ORF longtime speaker and BB voice Chris Lohner now makes it possible for the world’s disadvantaged children and young people to be heard. As an honorary ambassador for the Austrian development aid agency Jugend Eine Welt, she wants to draw attention to specific aid programs in Africa and South America, Reinhard Heiserer, co-founder and managing director, told a news conference in Vienna on Tuesday. NGOs.

Social commitment is not a new area for Lohner. Since 2001 he has been supporting the NGO “Licht für die Welt”, which treats people with ocular disorders and the blind free of charge in developing countries. He recently got in touch with “Jugend Eine Welt” through a mutual friend and was immediately enthusiastic. Whether it’s a coronavirus crisis or a “climate catastrophe” – children are most affected, according to Lohner. “That was one reason for me to change now and focus only on the youth of this world. I’m talking about children all over the world living on the streets overnight. “Children who slip easily into a horrible future.”

For CEO Heiserer, it is about “doing what we can” and thus orienting ourselves to the needs of the respective countries: “We see it as a common world that we care about. This is not the third, fourth or fifth world at our expense in Europe or Austria. That is why our work is not only charitable, but also political, because it is about creating justice. that our prosperity is not based on the exploitation of other people. “

“I hear this sentence so often, ‘So what can I do?’ “”, Lohner continues. “Of course you can not save the whole world – but you can facilitate the individual degrees. Many atomic degrees in 20 to 30 years is also a large amount. I am always very enthusiastic – much more than when big companies put a lot of money on the table – when retirees send ten euros out of their small pension. I think it’s wonderful, it’s such a warm gesture. “

As a volunteer ambassador, Lohner wants to “look at places where there is a need for men and women” – which she says is important for her to fund travel expenses out of her own pocket. In Austria, it wants to raise awareness “in TV debates or anywhere”. I have been around the world for 20 years and I have seen many things myself and I can say about them. And I can say: you are never used to these stories, you are always excited. and I want to convey that people wake up a little bit. ” The first thing we need to do next year is go to Sierra Leone, where the project partners will support exploited girls and young women on the ground.

“Jugend Eine Welt” will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year. The NGO, which has the Austrian endorsement of donations, has partner organizations in 80 countries – 25 of which run projects funded by around 16,000 donors. Including large donors and institutions, you receive an annual budget of six to seven million euros. This not only supports long-term development projects, for example in the field of education, but also provides short-term emergency assistance, as is the case today after the earthquake in Haiti.

From: apa