von Sonja_IBC | Feb 9, 2023 | Unkategorisiert
Anne Babb and Anja Tuchtenhagen, the General Secretary and fundraiser at IBC, are back from their recent field trip to Lomé. They really appreciated the first-hand impressions of the projects, especially after Corona. The work at Blue Cross Togo is inspiring and bringing positive results in schools and the wider community. Through the close collaboration with various Government departments, municipalities, churches and NGO’s Blue Cross Togo is leading developments for new legislation to better regulate the sale of alcohol in general and around schools in particular. The Life Skills prevention and education programme foster healthy behavior and enable the youth to practice wise choices in various situations in their life. Blue Cross Togo also reaches out to help people of all ages through a wide range of projects. These include girls at the local hairdressing academy, women through community action and male taxi drivers. Anne and Anja saw how the Blue Cross Togo have worked hard to open Togo’s first ever rehabilitation centre to help people with addiction issues. This is a big step forward and helps bring positive change in the lives of many more people. The appreciated work with the local team was inspiring, fruitful and very constructive!
If you want to read more about our project in Togo, you will find some info in the programmes section.
von Sabra_TXT | Dez 8, 2022 | Unkategorisiert
Der November ging mit einem kleinen Highlight für IBC zu Ende: Dem Workshop „Selbsthilfe in Afrika“. Im südafrikanischen Johannesburg kamen dazu Blaukreuz-Vertreter:innen aus verschiedenen afrikanischen Ländern zusammen um deren Arbeit im Bereich Selbsthilfe und Gemeindearbeit weiter zu verbessern. In dem fünftägigen Workshop arbeiteten Anne und Programm-Verantwortliche Sophie mit den Teilnehmer:innen anhand von Rollenspielen, Fallbeispielen und praktischen Übungen daran, ihre Programme noch wirkungsvoller zu machen. Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer diskutierten im offenen Austausch miteinander verschiedene Fälle, mit denen sie sich konfrontiert sahen, oder besprachen typische Schwierigkeiten in ihrer Gemeinde- und Selbsthilfearbeit.
So wird das IBC-Selbsthilfeprogramm in Afrika nach und nach auf immer solidere Füße gestellt. Vor Allem in afrikanischen Ländern sind Selbsthilfeprogramme ein sehr wichtiger Faktor, um Menschen mit Suchtproblemen und deren Angehörigen Halt, Orientierung und die Chance auf einen Weg in ein gesundes Leben zu geben. In ihren Gesellschaften ist es ihnen meist nicht möglich, Zugang zu Hilfsprogrammen des Gesundheitssystems zu erlangen.
von Anna Schwaller | Nov 8, 2022 | Unkategorisiert
IBC General Secretary Anne and IBC Programme Officer Sybille are back from their field visit in Tanzania. They had a fantastic week of activities and most important meetings with Education authorities, Head of Arusha City, many schools and head masters. The IBC prevention programme has been successfully running in Tanzania since 2020. The appreciated work performed by Blue Cross Society of Tanzania gained the trust of local communities and receive government support. It was a week full of revising and working to improve the Life Skills Programme and gaining quality results for youth further. Erfahren Sie mehr über das Programm in unserer Rubrik Programme!
von Sabra_TXT | Aug 15, 2022 | Unkategorisiert
Visit us on August 26 in Bern and get to know our team and our work! You will get a first-hand insight into our programmes with a focus on our work with youth, communities, schools and local stakeholders in Africa.
Our „open afternoon“ starts informally from 2 p.m. – you can connect with IBC staff and the IBC General Secretary Anne Babb and discuss our work in Chad, Togo, Tansania and the Republic of Congo and other countries. For those interested we have films and short interviews with our project partners and beneficiaries ready to be shown.
The official open door event begins then at 5 PM directly next to our office, at Café Azzurro in Lindenrain 5.
Program:
16:45 Admission and refreshments
17:00 Welcome
17:15 IBC work today
17:30 Impact of donations
18:00 Light buffet and networking
If you intend to pass by, please let us know by writing us an e-mail to: office@internationalbluecross.org or phone us: +41 31 301 89 04
We are looking forward to seeing you!
von Sabra_TXT | Mai 31, 2022 | Unkategorisiert
The International Blue Cross mourns with the wife, Florence, the family and many, many friends and members of the worldwide Blue Cross family.
Albert Moukolo passed away on 18.05.2022 shortly before his 71st birthday completely unexpectedly and for all of us much too early.
Through his death, we lose a personality who shaped the International Blue Cross for decades.
Due to his own involvement as a relative of an addict, he very soon turned to the Congolese Blue Cross and became a member and leader of the Congo Blue Cross. He studied psychology and eventually also earned his doctorate on a topic related to the treatment of alcoholism, eventually living in Switzerland and holding various teaching positions in Lausanne and Geneva.
In addition to his own co-affliction and the professional expertise Albert had acquired, he possessed a heart and passion for people affected by addiction. This quality opened many doors for him to assist, counsel and accompany addicted people into a new life. And Albert made use of all these open doors. With strength and commitment, he stood up for deaf people with addiction, for example, and founded the first organization for deaf people with addiction in Switzerland. He learned sign language only to be able to help these people.
Growing up and living in different cultures, he was an excellent bridge builder between the worlds of the International Blue Cross. He served on the IBC Board of Directors from 1999 and was its President from 2012 to 2021. All those who accompanied him in the work of the board could learn a lot from Albert Moukolo. He was valued and loved by all members of the board. We lose a strong leader, a caring partner and a highly valued friend. We can only thank God from the bottom of our hearts for this exceptionally gifted personality, as well as his wife Florence and children for making it possible for Albert to be so involved with IBC!”
For all that, Albert was also a person who lived his relationship with his God and Creator and with Jesus Christ convincingly and consciously. This could be experienced in his encounters even without words. For many people Albert was an important example, also for me!
Therefore, the word of the Bible now also applies to Albert: The Lord says: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine!“ (Isaiah.43:1b)
And because we as Christians know that we may meet again in God’s home, we deliberately say at this point, „Goodbye Albert. See you again!“
Reinhard Jahn, President of the International Blue Cross
PDF Nachruf für Dr. Albert Moukolo (03.06.1951 – 18.05.2022)
PDF Nécrologie du Dr Albert Moukolo (03.06.1951 – 18.05.2022)
von Sabra_TXT | Jan 6, 2022 | Unkategorisiert
Blue Cross Tanzania cooperated with the City Council in Arusha and conducted a two-day training for gender focal points from four different wards. In total 69 participants took part in the training to learn more about the following points:
1. Promote positive parenting skills among parents, caregivers and community members.
2. Promote norms and values that empower women and support non-violent, respectful, positive, nurturing and gender-equitable relationships
3. Enforce laws relating to rights of women and children.
4. Train ward VAWC protection committees on their roles and responsibilities
Even with the travel restrictions due to covid the IBC secretariat team collaborates closely with its members on line.
Visit us on August 26 in Bern and get to know our team and our work! You will get a first-hand insight into our programmes with a focus on our work with youth, communities, schools and local stakeholders in Africa.
The International Blue Cross mourns with the wife, Florence, the family and many, many friends and members of the worldwide Blue Cross family.
