Dear Visitor

The Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation is a Swiss non-governmen-tal organisation promoting peaceful cohabitation worldwide by strengthening the competencies and rights of children and youth through basic and intercultural education. In 1982, the Foun dation started to work abroad. The exhibition presented here visualises three decades of the International Pro grammes of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation. We wish you interes ting insights into the history and development of our Inter national Programmes!

Your Programme Team International

30 Years International Programmes

PESTALOZZI CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION

1982 – 1989

Bangladesh1982 – 2001

India1982 – 2004 Cambodia

1985 – 2004

Lebanon1982 – 1993

Ethiopia1982 – today

In 1982, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation started to work abroad to promote peaceful living together, not only in Switzerland but all around the world. The first international projects were implemented in India for Tibetan children, and in Lebanon, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Ethiopia. The underlying idea was to support children in their home countries, in order to fight poverty on a larger scale. This was intended to prevent children to be in a situation of need for institu-tions like the Children’s Village. Therefore work abroad was started in countries of origin of children living in the Children’s Village at that time.The selection of projects was made according to the needs in these countries and resulted in a huge variety of different projects and topics. The headquarters of the programmes abroad was located in Fribourg.The following pictures show that during this early stage of the International Programmes, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation implemented projects in basic and adult education, agriculture development and drinking water supply, and provided people with shelter in emergency situations.

1982 – 1989

Guidelines for «Hilfe An ort»

BAnGlAdesH, 1988

etHiopiA, 1987 – 1991

etHiopiA, 1987 – 1991

etHiopiA, 1987 – 1991

indiA, 1982 – 1991

indiA, 1982 – 1991

indiA, 1982 – 1991

indiA, 1982 – 1991

CAmBodiA, 1983

1990 – 2000

Zambia1994 – 2001

Guatemala1999 – today

Bosnia-Herzegovina1997 – 1999

El Salvador1990 – today

Peru1990 – 2001

Haiti1990 – 2000

Romania1990 – 2010

Bangladesh1982 – 2001

India1982 – 2004 Cambodia

1985 – 2004

Lebanon1982 – 1993

Ethiopia1982 – today

In the nineties, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation supported projects in El Salvador, Haiti, Peru, Zambia, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Romania and India. Most pertinent to the selection of countries were emergency cases, such as civil wars in Latin America, political insta-bility and extreme poverty in Zambia or the collapse of the regime in Romania. These events caused high attention, compassion and solidarity among the Swiss population. The field of intervention was wide, with projects in access to basic edu-cation, vocational training, empowerment of women and humanitarian aid. In the context of increasing professionalisation of Swiss development cooperation, this broad variety of countries and project topics became an increasing challenge for a small NGO like the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation. This led to the decision for a major strategic programme shift in 2001, which is outlined in the panels on the years 2001 – 2012.

1990 – 2000

Peru, 1991

Peru, 1990

haiti, 1995

cambodia, 2000

cambodia, 2000

bangladesh, 2000

Eritrea2004 – 2010

Myanmar/Burma2004 – today

Thailand2006 – today

Laos2005 – today

Tanzania2008 – today

Honduras2003 – today

Macedonia2004 – today

Serbia2003 – today

Switzerland2005 – today Moldova

2009 – today

Guatemala1999 – today

El Salvador1990 – today

Romania1990 – 2010

Ethiopia1982 – today

2001 – 2012

In 2001, the International Programmes underwent a comprehensive strategic shift: the programmes were focused geographically and thematically. Today, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation implements country programmes in Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Macedonia, Moldova, and Serbia, as well as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The geographical focus on the four regions South East Asia, East Africa, South East Europe and Central America improved the effectiveness of our work: it allows for co-operation between the countries and mutual learning. The pictures of this decade show that the International Programmes are now thematically focussed on the access to quality basic education, especially for marginalised children and youth. The projects and pro-grammes are systematically planned and implemented in accordance with the human rights-based approach. To have a sustainable effect on the child, the rights of the child and the education systems, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation is strengthening the capacity of local partner organisations and authorities. In 2001, the office in Fribourg was closed. Today, all teams of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation have their offices in the Children’s Village in Trogen.Nowadays, the International Programmes of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation reach around 400 000 children and young people, teachers, parents and representatives of relevant authorities every year.

2001 – 2012

Convention on the rights of the Child

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular:

(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;

(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need;

(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means;

(d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children;

(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity and in conformity with the present Convention.

3. States Parties shall promote and encourage international co-operation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.

1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

(a) The development of the child›s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;

(b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;

(c) The development of respect for the child›s parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;

(d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;

(e) The development of respect for the natural environment.

2. No part of the present article or article 28 shall be construed so as to interfere with the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational institutions, subject always to the observance of the principle set forth in paragraph 1 of the present article and to the requirements that the education given in such institutions shall conform to such minimum standards as may be laid down by the State.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Article 28

Article 29

serbia, 2009

tanzania, 2009

MyanMar / burMa, 2005

laos, 2007

guateMala, 2004

honduras, 2004

eMpower, 2011