EMOTIONAL HANDOVER OF DONATIONS AT THE EUROPEAN SCHOOL IN KARLSRUHE(ESK): BESTSELLING AUTHOR MENDE NAZER ACCEPTED 17,000 EUROS
Karlsruhe/Sudan. A highly emotional visit to the European School in Karlsruhe (ESK): As part of the charity project “Strike for Sudan – at the Mende Nazer School for Nuba”, ESK Director Tom Høyem presented bestselling author Mende Nazer with a donation cheque for 17,000 euros last Friday in the presence of pupils, parents and numerous other interested parties. With prominent support from top basketball players from BG Karlsruhe, more than 300 ESK secondary school pupils raised a large amount of money at the “STRIKE FOR SUDAN” bowling event at the Lago Bowling Centre in Karlsruhe in mid-February. 30 of the dedicated pupils were honoured with prizes at the donation ceremony on Friday.
The donations will be used to build a school in the Nuba region of Sudan, where the author comes from. In Karlsruhe, she spoke about her fateful life, about which she also wrote her autobiography “Slave”, in order to raise awareness worldwide of the situation in her country and her own ordeal.
The young woman, who was visibly emotional about the great sympathy and commitment shown by those involved in and outside the school, inspired the audience in the packed ESK auditorium. She also answered the young people’s questions in detail, for example about the water supply in Sudan and whether she could meet her parents there due to the insecure situation. At a meeting with members of the Mende Nazer Foundation, which was founded in Karlsruhe on the initiative of Tom Høyem and operates worldwide, discussions were also held in the presence of Mende Nazer about further support for the school project in Nuba and the use of the donations.
Headmaster Tom Høyem, who has known the author for five years, summarised the extraordinary nature of the ESK guest: “For me, Mende Nazer is comparable to Nelson Mandela.”
In addition to founder Mende Nazer (United Kingdom), the following members are active on the board of the Mende Nazer Foundation, which celebrates its third birthday in 2012 and works with parents worldwide to promote education and the construction of schools in Sudan: ESK Director and Chairman Tom Høyem (Denmark), Janan Sutherland (Canada), Vice-Chairman, Dr Sabine Röser (Karlsruhe), Dr Jacqueline Ribeiro (Karlsruhe), Dr Ulike Heiden (Karlsruhe), Aya Ferguson (United Kingdom), Caroline Clegg (United Kingdom) and Dr Aya Ferguson (United Kingdom). Sabine Röser (Karlsruhe), Dr Jacqueline Ribeiro (Karlsruhe), Dr Ulrike Heiden (Karlsruhe), Aya Ferguson (United Kingdom), Caroline Clegg (United Kingdom), Dr Henning Huffer (Karlsruhe) and Angela Wipper (Karlsruhe).
BBC report “Surviving modern-day slavery” about Mende Nazer
World premiere of the theatre play “Slave – A Question of Freedom” in Manchester
In 2012, the European School in Karlsruhe (ESK) celebrates its 50th anniversary. From the “Polyglott” day care centre to kindergarten, primary school and secondary school, children and young people are cared for and taught at the school from the age of 6 months until they graduate from high school. Around 180 employees from all 27 nations of the European Union work at the multi-cultural educational institution in the fan-shaped city, which has been under the management of Director Tom Høyem since 2000. The school’s catchment area extends from Mannheim and Heidelberg via Karlsruhe to Strasbourg. 1000 students are taught in 14 different mother tongues. The internationally recognised European Baccalaureate, which is taken at the ESK, opens up study opportunities worldwide. The European School in Karlsruhe is one of 14 European Schools located at EU institutions throughout Europe.
(Autor: dei)