The Rückwärts und Vorwärts Denken foundation (RUVD) is a charitable and sponsoring foundation that means we support particularly certain people who are in financial need. The original idea of the RUVD was to address Soviet prisoners of war held (POW) in Germany out of the different forms of suffering in the 20th century. Comparing the fate of these prisoners with the German POW kept in the USSR one can see a clear difference: From 5,7 million Soviet POW, 3,3 million died (58%) whereas from 3,2 million German POW held in USSR, 1,1 million didn’t return (37,6%).
One of the main reasons why so many Soviet men died in German concentration camps was because of the distinctive racism in Nazi Germany, which, apart from the Jewish people, was also directed towards all Eastern Europeans. The German POW held in Soviet camps returned to their hometowns contributing to the country’s economy and the reconstruction of Germany. Many died in peace and prosperity. On the contrary the Soviet POW returnees were abused and harassed in Stalin’s dictatorship. Many of those who are still alive today live in poverty and lack of many things.
Kontakte-Kontakty e.V. Countries of the former Soviet Union
Direct aid for former Soviet POW
The RUVD takes a tiny part of the accumulated wealth in Germany and distributes it to the former Soviet POW who are still alive. This gets done by the organization KONTAKTE in Berlin, which gives 300 Euros –rather a symbolical gesture than real aid- to the people. The recipients are very old and soon there will not exist any people from this generation anymore.
Because of this fact, RUVD decided to look for another purpose for the future. Money for educational projects is urgently needed in the whole world and it was coincidence, as well as personal preference of the donor, to choose where she wished to make a contribution. Consequently, the RUVD chose to contribute in Latin America through the support of various educational projects.
Asociación Civil Hamiraya CAICC –Bolivia
School for children of inmates
The project CAICC in Cochabamba, Bolivia looks after children who, along with their parents, must live in a prison. They are taken to school and afterwards get attention (looked after). In this project four adolescents, who lived previously with their parents in jail, were able to finish high school and applied to the university. This certainly is a great achievement that makes RUVD proud!
Dominican at the Anunciata Lancetillo- Guatemala
The Auxiliary Nurse Project in Lancetillo, Guatemala
RUVD has so far given grants to five young women to study to become an auxiliary nurse. Two of these women, Lucrecia and Apolinaria, had the highest grades in their final exams. The new candidates will start their studies on 20 January. We give three grants a year (each 2400 US dollars). In the future we hope to support the education for licensed nurses.
Dominicans of the Anunciata Education Centre Francisco Coll- City of Guatemala
We also support a project in Guatemala City: a school that is close to the city’s main landfill. Our donation secures the daily meals of 325 children. Also here, we are planning of broadening our support by giving grants to finish high school or a vocational training.
The costs of administration are around 1% what means that donations arrive almost intact to the recipients. Certificates of donations are sent every year in March.