Founding
The Swiss Charity Organisation Förderverein Vulamasango Südafrika (Friends of Vulamasango South Africa), was envisioned end of 2018 by Mrs. Susanne von der Becke and Mr. Reto von der Becke and officially founded in its inception meeting on the 25th of March 2019 in Steinhausen/Zug, Switzerland. The registered charity is exempt from taxes under Swiss law.
Mission Statement
"The Charity envisions the long-term support of the children's project "Vulamasango- Open Gates" in South Africa, a Non-Profit Organisation for disadvantaged, namely impoverished, neglected, abused and/or orphaned children in Cape Town. Through donations and membership fees the charity aims to support both the After School Care (ASC) as well as the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) segments of the project."
The charity pursues no commercial activities and has no profit motive. All organs of the charity work as volunteers.
Background
Through a connection to the South African Embassy in Berlin/Germany, where the youth choir Vulingoma of the children's project Vulamasango was performing on Freedom Day on the 27th of April 2016, Mr. and Mrs. von der Becke first became aware of the project Vulamasango in South Africa. At another concert of the choir at a school in Küsnacht/Switzerland in May 2018, they then met for the first time with the founder of the project, Mr. Florian Kraemer. After a personal visit to the project in Cape Town in November 2018 the couple then decided to support Vulamasango through setting up the Swiss charity organisation.
Goals
The charity uses the following avenues of fundraising:
- Donations from Individuals/companies
- Donations from active members
- Yearly Membership contributions
- Proceeds from its own charity events
- Subsidies
- Proceeds from service agreements
- Donations of any kind
Bursaries
Part of the funds raised will be used to issue the yearly VDB Grant to a selected group of extraordinarily gifted students from the Children’s Home in order for them to attend qualitatively better schools. In future the VDB Grant will also specifically finance tertiary education and Masters Degrees for worthy recipients from the Children’s Home.
Cultural Exchange
In order to show our gratitude to our members and funders in Europe and to "give back", we have been organising a bi-annual concert tour to Europe since 2007, mostly performing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with children and youth from the Vulamasango children's project in Cape Town. The concerts of our youth choir, known as Vulingoma, serve a threefold purpose:
- We raise donations for the project in South Africa.
- The funders and members of Positiv Leben e.V. are "receiving back" something very valuable and in this way can take part in the success of the project and the lives of the children in South Africa. This direct contact with the children and youth at these concerts helps to build a personal relationship and bond of trust between the children and the supporters of the project.
- The children and youth taking part in this youth choir, most of whom stem from the most adverse conditions in South Africa and have often never before left the terrible conditions prevailing in their townships at home, get a unique chance to "see the world" and to come back to South Africa heaped with praise over their artistic ability and talent, which always leads to a vastly increased sense of worth and a new-found self-confidence, which in turn gives them the strength and positive outlook they need to face their challenging circumstances at home.
Public Relations
The charity Förderverein Vulamasango Südafrika is represented publicly by Mr. and Mrs. von der Becke:
Information material
More information on the charity Förderverein Vulamasango Südafrika (newspaper articles, project reports and newsletters) you can find here:
Board of directors
Dr. Susanne von der Becke
POSITION: President
BACKGROUND:
- Founder and President of FVS since 2019
- PhD in Finance (ETH Zürich)
- Entrepreneur and Founder of VDB Insights
- Facilitates Mindfulness-Courses and Retreats
- Lives in Zurich / Switzerland
Reto von der Becke
POSITION: Vice-President
BACKGROUND:
- Founder and Vice-President of FVS since 2019
- Entrepreneur and Investor
- Founder, CEO and Owner of the VDB Group
- Chairman / Executive Board Member of several mid-sized Businesses in Switzerland
- Member of the Young President’s Organisation
- Lives in Zurich / Switzerland
Ulrich Penzkofer
POSITION: Board Member
BACKGROUND:
- Vice-President Corporate Finance, Hypo Bank New York, 1988 - 1996
- Siemens AG, Senior Management, 1996 - 2011
- NRB, Brussels/Liège, Chairman and CEO, 2012 – 2016
- UJP Management Consulting, 2017 - Current
- Adjunct Professor for Business and Economy, Free University of Brussels, 2017 – Current
- Adjunct Professor for Business and Economy, Webster University, USA, 2017 – Current
- Board Member of Positiv Leben e.V. since 2006
- Board Member of Förderverein Vulamasango Südafrika since 2019
- Lives in Brussels / Belgium since 2012
Florian Kraemer
POSITION: Board Member
BACKGROUND:
- Social Scientist / Social Worker
- Lives in Cape Town / South Africa since 1997
- Founder and CEO of Vulamasango since 2008
- Founder and CEO of the project Indawo Yentsikelelo in Cape Town from 2004 to 2008
- Founder and Chairperson of Positiv Leben e.V. since 2003
- Board Member of Förderverein Vulamasango Südafrika since 2019
- Married with 2 children