27,000 euros collected

School with a heart: 900 benches for children in Africa

Apprentice carpenters built the benches in Uganda.

(Bild: Kinder eine Chance)

An incredible 27,000 euros were collected by Tyrolean pupils for a project in Uganda. This will enable no less than 900 school desks to be produced in Africa. The cheque was recently handed over at a small ceremony.

Pupils from BRG Adolf-Pichler-Platz in Innsbruck really showed their heart! For two months, they collected money for the organization "Children a Chance" in Uganda through various campaigns.

Recently, pupils from BRG Adolf-Pichler-Platz presented a cheque for 27,000 euros to the aid organization "Children a Chance" at a small ceremony. Thanks to the more than proud donation from Tyrol, children in Uganda can look forward to 900 school desks.

(Bild: Kindern eine Chance)

Under the motto "A place to learn", the team of religious education teachers led by Johannes Scheicher asked the young people to think about whether and in what way they would like to contribute to financing urgently needed school furniture for disadvantaged children in East Africa - and they were immediately enthusiastic.

Money was also raised outside churches by selling cakes.

(Bild: Kindern eine Chance)

Motivated by a presentation by their classmate Simon Ziller, whose parents founded "Children a Chance" 16 years ago, the ideas for raising money were many and varied. "Music was played in front of the Golden Roof, cakes were sold in various shopping arcades, parish coffees were held and a daily school buffet was organized in the Bundesrealgymnasium itself," said the association's founders Gabi Ziller and Stefan Pleger enthusiastically. All the activities were reported on an Instagram page set up by the pupils themselves.

It was a special lesson in social learning for everyone involved. Namely, that the commitment of each individual makes a difference and that we can make the world a little fairer through our actions

Stefan Pleger

Apprentices produced school desks directly on site
For every 30 euros that the hard-working collectors "earned", wood was purchased in Uganda and a school bench was produced in one of the vocational schools of Tyrolean aid organizations with the local carpentry apprentices.

More than a proud result and an instructive lesson
"Nobody had expected the result of 27,000 euros, or the equivalent of 900 school desks," says the aid organization happily. The pupils and the team of religious education teachers were rightly proud when the donation cheque was presented at a small ceremony a few days ago. "This large sum is of course incredible, but what is even more important for us is that the children and young people have used the topic to help people who were not lucky enough to be born in a country as rich as Austria," Ziller and Pleger explain in unison.

The commitment of some of the pupils was huge.

(Bild: Kindern eine Chance)

The fact that particularly committed pupils were even named as donors on the school desks produced in Uganda was of course an additional motivation to make the effort. "It was a special lesson in social learning for everyone involved. Namely, that the commitment of each individual makes a difference and that we can make the world a little fairer through our actions," Stefan Pleger is convinced.

The time when they had to sit on the floor is over for many.

(Bild: Kindern eine Chance)

More information about the organization can be found at www.kinderneinechance.at