For us, the Christmas season is a time to take a deep breath, to process, to look back. Especially this year. Because 2022 was by far the most strenuous and contradictory in our still young history. 2022 was cruel and unpredictable. But 2022 was also full of cohesion, full of solidarity, full of new encounters and stories.
At the beginning of the year, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier invited us to Bellevue Palace. Our founder Serkan Eren was named “Person from Stuttgart of the Year” on behalf of the entire STELP team. We broke all records at our 3rd fundraising gala. In total, we generated over four million euros in donations with our aid organisation, which was launched with 0-euro start-up capital. Incredible.
On the other hand, there is a terrible civil war in Yemen and the Taliban in Afghanistan, who are dealing with the population in an increasingly restrictive manner after seizing power. Young people risking their lives in Iran in the fight for elementary human rights and a war of aggression on Ukraine that cannot be surpassed in terms of ruthlessness, senselessness and cruelty.
In these hours, Serkan is on site with the people who need our help. He provides families who have lost their roof over their heads with sleeping bags so that they can survive the bitterly cold winter nights in eastern Ukraine. He distributes Christmas presents to children for whom the war has become a cruel daily routine and Christmas anticipation has become a distant memory. For a short time they can forget their fear and pain, they can finally smile again.
The shining eyes of children are our motivation
The shining eyes of children are our motivation, for these moments we give our everything every day. For us, therefore, there can and will be only one goal in the new year: to help as many people as possible. This is only possible because we have you as supporters, donors, volunteers and partners at our side.
For this we would like to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This organisation, this vision, all this would not be possible without people like you. We know that and you know that.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Together we can do anything, this year has shown that!
From 23 December to 6 January inclusive, we will be on winter break and close our office.
STELP Team & Executive Board
