about us
Strong for the weak
We give children a chance
Children and youth welfare Lotus Foundation
Heinrich Maria Heumann
Founder and board member
Genia Kreling
Trustee
non-incorporated charitable foundation
founded: March 10, 2002
Non-profit status: since March 2002
Founder: Heinrich Maria Heumann
Trustee: Genia Kreling
Tax number: 143/235/40587
Purpose of the foundation: Promotion of education and training, vocational training including student aid (see statutes)
Heinrich Maria Heumann
Founder & Chairman of the Lotus Foundation
"With our foundation we cannot help all children who live in misery, but we can start in one place.
The better you know a country, its people and its culture, the more successfully you can build something there. The founder of the foundation, Heinrich Maria Heumann lived and worked in Mindanao from 1994 to 1998. That is where his wife comes from and that is where his youngest daughter was born. Mr. Heumann describes his experiences on site as follows: “The island of Mindanao is the poor house of the Philippines. I myself lived here, in my wife's homeland, for four and a half years and saw with my own eyes how hungry children eat earth or rummage through rubbish for leftovers. Many of the little ones contribute to the family's livelihood with hard child labor and prostitution and often do not live to be 16 years old. My youngest daughter is half Filipina.Imagining she was one of those children breaks my heart around the land In which, despite the poverty, I experienced so much hospitality and warmth to give something back, I founded the child and youth welfare LOTUS FOUNDATION in 2001. With education, professional qualifications and jobs, we create new future prospects for the poorest.
Our unique concept of the foundation
From minute 27:20, Mr. Heumann explains how he wants to shape the foundation in the future so that he no longer depends so heavily on donations.
You have to be inventive with little money.
There were always financial bottlenecks in the development of our
aid project "Circle of Life", for example with the construction of
our bakery. The time between the application and the
allocation of the funds was about 3 months. During this period, the
exchange rate between the euro and the Philippine peso fell by 22%. The money
was not enough for the entire construction. But it had to
go on. So it was up to me to find a solution. In order to save costs, we made the building blocks ourselves. We bought a metal mold, hired a worker to manufacture hollow cement blocks. So we were able to impose the exchange rate loss.
Learning by playing in kindergarten
Many of our children come from socially difficult and very poor backgrounds, often they have no rooms of their own, let alone toys. They live in simple huts and slum-like conditions. In our kindergarten, for the first time in their lives they will experience special recognition, attention and a lot of love. The kindergarten is comfortably furnished. There are lots of toys, cuddly toys, and crafting opportunities. The
children feel comfortable in the homely atmosphere and the loving care gives them the feeling of being at home. Also they will be here on ours
Secondary school has been prepared. With playful exercises, reading, writing and arithmetic are introduced to them from an early age.The children's facility is also located directly on the school premises, so the children have contact with our students from the very beginning and can later find their way around the familiar school environment more quickly.
Our kindergarten not only gives them a perfect start to school life, but also gives them an emotional home with us.
More on how a girl finds a home ...
Pricess Mae also liked it with us from the first moment. Mae comes from a rebel area. Your parents perished there. Her grandmother fled the war zone with her. They now live in Panabo City, in a slum hut. It's just a room with a clay floor. There is no toilet or sink. Grandmother fetches water for washing from the pumping well in the neighborhood. Your direct neighbors have taken pity on the grandmother and the child, who previously made a living from garbage. They keep the old woman busy at her vegetable stand so that she can feed her grandchild.
Under these circumstances it is understandable that Princess would prefer to live in kindergarten. Our kindergarten seemed almost as magical to her as other children at Disneyland. With us she now has better opportunities for a happier future.
In our school, Princess Mae is valued and thus finds an emotional home.
The majority of our 220 students share the fate of Janslie. Many students come to school hungry because their relatives do not have enough money to eat. Some only get a meal once a day. But you can't study well with a growling stomach. Therefore we would like to introduce a lunch menu for the children. Unfortunately, we have no funds for this at the moment. Therefore we ask for your help! With a donation or sponsorship for a child from the poorest of backgrounds, you give these children prospects for a better future. Give schooling to a child
Music, movement, exciting tasks
School is fun
Most of our students come from difficult backgrounds, which is why it is important that they feel at home with us. In addition to pure education, they also learn good manners, self-confidence, respectful interaction with one another and responsible handling of nature and animals, as well as education in order to protect them from violence and abuse.
First and foremost is having fun while learning. For this purpose, a family atmosphere is created by building a close, personal relationship between teachers and children. Our goat family and three rabbits also bring life and joy to everyday school life.
Many of our classes also teach hyperactive children who would not get enough support in state schools, but are often very intelligent. These protégés need more attention and recognition, appreciation is the way to the goal, because they are happy about every praise like a king.
With music-accompanied sports lessons, we ensure the balance of the students and enough exercise. In addition, the teacher has to bring color into the classroom. That means the lessons have to be varied, gripping and also funny. Then school is fun.
More on how we encourage hyperactive children ...
Joffrey didn't come to our school until the fourth grade. His father was killed in an accident when Joffrey was two years old. He can hardly remember his father. As a hyperactive child in state schools, he was a constant troublemaker and therefore unpopular with teachers and students. His mother found out from a friend that her son really likes going to our school because it is exciting and funny - as he described it. Joffrey's mother can't pay the school fees herself and therefore didn't want to send her son to our school at first, but then she came to us with Joffery.
Jan Patrick is also affected. He is now in fourth grade and very talented in math, English, arts and technology. He assembles technology models with kits that are recommended from the 6th grade - only with the illustrated instructions. But he has problems reading. That's why he has a hard time taking exams because he can't read the questions fast enough even when he knows the answers.
Hyperactive children like Joffrey and Jan Patrik place special demands on the teachers for whom they have to be trained. It requires a lot of empathy from the teachers. The children need a lot of variety, exercise, tension and relaxation, a lot of praise, recognition and encouragement to strengthen them. It's not an easy task, but a rewarding one.
Good future prospects
with qualified professional training
in the baker's trade
Good future prospects in the Bächerhanwerk
In our bakery, young people initially receive six-month basic training, with which many already find employment in Filipino bakery shops. More than 120 young people have already found a job thanks to the basic training. In addition, we offer further training based on the German model up to the journeyman's examination. Three of the most successful graduates each receive a scholarship so that they can attend a master's school in Munich.
The candidates for the master school only get a visa for this period and after their return the Department of Trade and Industry supports the project, because there is no such training in the Philippines. Our project is unique in Mindanao.
Your donation helps young people to earn a decent living and to shape their lives independently. In this way, those who have been trained can support their own and their families of origin and thus also contribute to the economic development of the region. Your donation is therefore a lasting help!
Qualified training as a seamstress
Foundation stone for an independent life
Employee
our employees
work in a family atmosphere
Our school differs from other schools in Panabo City in that it has a loving, family atmosphere. This is very important to us, because teachers only feel comfortable in such an atmosphere. This is also reflected in the way we deal with the students. Both the teachers and the students find an emotional home here. Therefore, not only our students like to come to our school - also the teachers and all other employees.
Mutual respect, praise, recognition and an open ear for worries and needs - this is what our employees particularly appreciate and what they envy the teachers of other schools for.
The salaries of our teachers are higher than those of private schools, but they are far below the salaries of state schools. Despite this difference in salary, some teachers have returned to us because the working conditions in the state schools are anything but pleasant. We are not yet able to pay such high salaries as the state schools, but we are working on improving them. However, we have social services to offer that are not available in other schools. For example, a savings program because most Filipinos have no savings. The employees save what is possible for them throughout the year. The amounts are counted just before Christmas and the foundation gives the same amount as a Christmas present. The total amount is paid into a savings account at a cooperative. There they receive higher interest rates than at a bank.
There is also an incentive program in which the performance of the employees is rewarded. Each employee evaluates the performance of his colleagues according to points. The management team also gives an assessment. The prizes are distributed from the total points. Both programs are very popular.
Since the statutory health insurance companies offer very little benefits, we introduced additional insurance for all employees this year. This also includes a wage adjustment if employees do not receive wages due to prolonged illness
SHARE
Donation account for
children and youth welfare Lotus Stiftung
Sparkasse Fürstenfeldbruck
IBAN: DE69 7005 3070 0001 6543 91
BIC: BYLADEM1FFB
Sparkasse München
IBAN: DE55 7015 0000 1003 9779 88
BIC: SSKMDEMMXXX
Do You Have Questions?
Call us:
01573 5433709
Heinrich Maria Heumann
0151 7656250
Helga Maria Springer
info@lotus-stiftung.com
Rechlitches
