Sustainability Report 2017

DRK aid project in Vietnam © DRK Truong Kim Dong One such project included the reconstruction of an elementary school in Bukoba (Tanzania) by Kolping Switzerland. After being destroyed by an earthquake the school was rebuilt and able to provide its 890 students a place to study and live again. Many children from the Bukoba region live in their schools and only go home for holidays. This made the reconstruction even more urgent. Another example from 2017 involved a project by the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) to provide the poorest people in Laos to have access to healthcare. The SRC created the “Health Equity Fund” to cover the healthcare costs of poor families in Laos such as treatments, medication and ambulance services. Thanks to the fund, those suffering from illnesses can now take advantage of immediate medical care and thus improve the quality of their lives. In certain traditional communities in Bolivia, young people must fight for their right to parti- cipate, as well as for job opportunities and public recognition. The LanzArte Project, a Solidar Suisse initiative co-funded by TEXAID, promotes social change in Bolivia by helping young people to build self-confidence by participating in theatre and film projects. TEXAID sponsors social projects and causes in lo- cations around the world and works closely with relief agencies and non-profit organizations. Partnership with the German Red Cross As an official partner of the German Red Cross since 2016, TEXAID helps to finance the “Natural Di- saster Prevention and Adapting to Climate Change” project in Vietnam. Thanks to this project, seven schools in the Vietnamese coastal town of Quy Nhon have been able to implement long-term dis- aster prevention measures, including swimming lessons for children, fire safety exercises in schools and the installation of a water filtration system. CHARITABLE PROJECTS In recent years, TEXAID has helped fund a number of different charitable projects. 40