Pestalozzi summer camps for children are taking place!

Children and young people from economically disadvantaged families are denied many things: participation in support courses and sports activities, carefree holidays. The Elternsein and Pestalozzi Children's Villages foundations are organising two holiday camps for them in Trogen AR in summer 2020. The summer camps are organised in compliance with the FOPH guidelines.

*** The camps are fully booked ***

In Switzerland, around 100,000 children are directly affected by poverty. And there are just as many who live just above the poverty line - in other words, in a household with an economic burden. They are often denied a trip to the cinema, holidays by the sea or in the mountains and other leisure activities, and their parents are unable to pay for music lessons and sports clubs. Single parents in particular do not have the financial means to take their children away for a few days and get away from it all.

Children whose parents can't afford a holiday or can't do anything with their children during the holidays due to their professional situation suffer. They hear things like «What, you're staying at home this year?». And after the holidays, they have to endure the great holiday experiences of their classmates. This is devastating in terms of developing healthy self-esteem.

In addition to the activities, the children have plenty of time to socialise and do nothing.

Children affected by poverty often feel inferior and marginalised, and it is not uncommon for them to become depressed. This is where the project of the two foundations Elternsein and Kinderorf Pestalozzi comes in. They organise and finance two holiday camps for 100 children and young people in Trogen AR. And they are pursuing several goals:

Das Angebot will einen Beitrag leisten für die öffentliche Gesundheit und gegen die Vereinsamung von Kindern und Jugendlichen.

Das Angebot will Eltern entlasten und ihnen die Möglichkeit bieten, Zeit ohne Kinder zu verbringen, aufzutanken, zu regenerieren.
Das Angebot will Eltern eine echte Alternative zur ausserschulischen Betreuung während der Sommerferienzeit bieten.

«This project is a matter close to my heart,» says Thomas Schlickenrieder, Managing Director of Stiftung Elternsein and initiator of the holiday camp. «It means a lot to me to be able to give children from disadvantaged families some unforgettable holidays. It is a small contribution to equal opportunities. » Lukrecija Kocmanic, Head of Recreation at the Pestalozzi Children's Village, adds: «Participating in a leisure activity in a group promotes a sense of community, empathy and, the more diverse such groups are, the more they can break down prejudices against others. These are important prerequisites for peaceful coexistence.»

At the Pestalozzi Children's Village in Trogen, meeting and socialising in a wide variety of projects becomes child's play.

The young guests are looked after by experienced teachers at the Pestalozzi Children's Village. The activities on offer in the two camps are tailored to the respective age groups and will make children's hearts beat faster: aerobatics courses, dancing and climbing, yoga for children, a hike to Gäbris, an afternoon of games, archery, ping-pong, cooking and a percussion workshop. In addition to the activities, the children have plenty of time to socialise and do nothing. The holiday camp project aims to make a contribution to supporting children and young people from economically disadvantaged families, to relieve the burden on working-poor parents and to alleviate the effects of poverty on their everyday lives.

Cultural legi

The Kulturlegi is a Swiss-wide offer that enables users to participate in social and cultural life. The card is available in thirteen Swiss cantons and is valid for one year. Around 3200 organisations and companies from the fields of culture, sport and education offer discounts of between 30 and 70 percent on their products and services. The Kulturlegi is currently used by more than 96,000 people.
Eligible persons can apply for the Kulturlegi via the website www.kulturlegi.ch or at a Kulturlegi office near them. Once the documents have been checked, the licence is sent by post. The website lists all the offers and explains how the discounts can be redeemed. Adults, children and young people who can prove that they live at or below the subsistence level are eligible. This includes

Personen, die von der Sozialhilfe unterstützt werden
Personen, die Zusatzleistungen zur AHV/IV erhalten
Personen, die keine öffentlichen Unterstüzungsgelder beziehen, deren Einkommen aber das Existenzminimum nach SKOS-Richtlinien nicht übersteigt.

More info: www.kulturlegi.ch

Registration for the holiday camps

The summer camps are organised in accordance with the BAG guidelines.