The organisations behind our Happiness Week

7 days, 7 organizations, 7 donations! From November 23, 2020 to November 29, 2020, it was our lucky week. Every day we supported a different non-profit organization with various campaigns. And now that we have been able to grasp this lucky success and have handed over the donations to the organizations, we would like to say a huge thank you to you again from the entire team! Without you, such a big impact would not have been possible. You can read the exact course of the week in our lucky week review .

Honesty is one of the three pillars of junglück. With this in mind, I would like to give you an insight into the work of the organizations today so that you can understand transparently what happens with the donations.

The organizations at a glance

Animal Table Munich e. ​​V.

437 weekly rations of feed

The Tiertafel München e. V. is financed entirely through donations and has been helping pet owners in need with food donations for many years. Thanks to the Tiertafel München, people whose life situation has changed due to illness, retirement or unemployment do not have to part with their beloved pets. The association now supports more than 650 people, mostly elderly and sick, whose pets are often their last social contact. In 2015, the Tiertafel München was awarded the Bavarian Animal Welfare Prize for this extraordinary work. We are incredibly pleased to be able to help this Munich association with its mission through the campaign on the first day of the Happiness Week with a donation of 1100 kg of food!

Copyright Tiertafel München e. V.

Doctors Against Animal Testing

1,150 Euro donation against animal testing

Some of you may initially be taken aback, as we should think that Germany is a country free of animal testing. However, the work of Doctors Against Animal Testing shows us the opposite. There are still animal testing laboratories and outdated research methods. Of course, medical progress is important, but animal testing is the wrong way to go! The billions in research funds should be used for ethically acceptable medicine with modern, innovative and animal-free testing methods. Animal testing research is simply pointless - there are alternatives: research into the causes and prevention of diseases is possible with human cell cultures and organ chips, for example. For us, there is no alternative to animal-free medicine. We will never test products on animals! And we think that should be the norm.

Doctors Against Animal Testing e. V. is committed to precisely this with scientifically based publications, lectures and educational work. The association takes to the streets across Germany for animals to put pressure on the animal testing industry. On World Animal Day on October 4, 2020, for example, 15 animal welfare and animal rights associations protested in front of the German Bundestag and called for an exit plan. With political work, they exert influence at federal and EU level and they launch large, high-profile campaigns and even petitions .

Copyright Doctors Against Animal Testing e. V.

LichtBlick Senior Citizens’ Aid e. V.

50 sponsorships for pensioners in need

Poverty in old age is a problem in our society that does not receive much attention - so it's no wonder that most people are not aware of it. Without additional financial support, many older people would often not know what to do, the LichtBlick senior citizens' aid organization told us. The association sponsors seniors so that they can afford small pleasures again and simply be human. You only have to read the personal life stories of the seniors to understand how much passion goes into this project. A sad thread that runs through the people's biographies: They have worked hard, but still have to make every penny count in old age to be able to cope with everyday life and their pension is not even enough for the bare necessities. I can only recommend that you read through these life stories, which unfortunately represent many people of this generation.

The LichtBlick association goes far beyond helping. The sponsorships sometimes almost result in new family members being found. LichtBlick employee Jelica Komljenovic and senior citizen Edith B. (90), for example, have known each other for 10 years. Or like Wilhelm J., for whom the sponsorship gives back a bit of financial freedom: “Sometimes a new sweater when the old one is no longer of any use, but mainly food” is what he uses it to buy.

Copyright LichtBlick e. V.

Mary's Meals

1 year of school meals for 100 children

“Mary's Meals makes children smart because once they eat, they can think.” - Eliza, volunteer cook, Malawi. Mary's Meals is determined to keep its promise of a healthy meal every day for every child in its school feeding program and reach even more children around the world. Children are encouraged to go to school so that they can one day escape poverty. Mary's Meals already feeds 1,667,067 children every school day in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. And the concept is working! In places where Mary's Meals are distributed, enrollment, attendance and academic performance are increasing. Cathrine from Malawi says: “I can't concentrate in class if my stomach is empty. The phala [porridge] fills me up. I love it!”

Such success is not least due to the fact that at least 93 percent of all donations are used directly for the charity projects. Where possible, the school meals are purchased from small farmers in the region in order to support the local economy.
Even in the difficult current situation that has existed since the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, the Mary's Meals team has gone above and beyond to reach the children at home. In collaboration with governments, community leaders and their trusted partners, they have developed new distribution methods to provide the children with food that is still locally sourced. Not only that, but they are also distributing soap, hygiene information and raising awareness about the importance of hygiene rules.

Copyright Mary's Meals

Plastic-Free Planet

11,565 tons of plastic are removed from the sea

Remove plastic, avoid plastic, recycle plastic, fight poverty! These are the four pillars of the work of the Philippine organization Plastic Free Planet. They collect marine plastic waste themselves from beaches, river mouths or by boat directly from the sea. The plastic is then sorted, cleaned and processed, 90 percent of which is turned into granules, which are then sold on to companies that use them to make reusable products. The organization is currently working on giving the remaining 10 percent to a company in the future that could use it to make fluff fuel. This would make it possible to recycle 100 percent of the plastic.
By paying above-average wages, they enable their employees to have a higher standard of living and combat poverty. To prevent further littering, dedicated teachers teach the children a sustainable lifestyle.
Mirasol, a single mother who has been surrounded by the ocean and has been confronted with marine pollution since she was a child, took over the construction on site in the Philippines. "As a team leader, it is not always easy to get everything under one roof. When I look back at our beginnings, I never thought we would make it this far. It is a good feeling to see the smiling faces of the people we have helped since we started. I only wish the best for future projects so that we can help even more of these people. All the hard work and stress were worth it when you see that these people were able to change their lives for the better." Mirasol Cereño, Team Leader, Philippines.

So far (as of October 2020), with the help of companies and private individuals, the association has been able to fish 576,348 kilos of plastic waste out of the ocean and deliver it to trustworthy recycling companies.

Copyright PlasticFreePlanet

Eden Reforestation Projects

75,283 trees will be planted

With every product sold, we support Eden Reforestation Projects and plant a tree. But why trees? Healthy forest systems provide habitat for animals, clean water sources, control flooding and erosion, provide nutrients to the soil, and regulate our climate.
Eden Reforestation Projects therefore plants trees in countries that are so badly affected by deforestation that communities lack food, shelter, clean water and education for children. So it is about much more than just planting trees, because Eden Projects creates job opportunities in local communities. They teach the affected communities how to plant trees and harvest their crops. This can help the residents in the long term and restore their environment.
Deforestation has long been a problem, but it is particularly acute in Madagascar, where mangrove forests are one of the highest priorities for biodiversity conservation. The deforestation of Madagascar's mangroves is destabilizing the coastline, making coastal communities increasingly vulnerable to storms and weather events.
In addition, Eden Projects conducts long-term monitoring of the progress and growth of the planted trees to ensure that the forests are growing successfully. This helps to ensure the safety of the young forests and secure a healthy future for the people.

The Madagascar reforestation project was initiated in 2007 in response to the large-scale loss of mangrove and mountain forests. Since then, large areas of mangrove and dry deciduous forests along the coast and inland have been reforested. The 2019 Annual Report shows the organization's success to date in black and white: 47 planting sites, 57,837,472 trees planted and 1,363 employees.

Copyright Eden Reforestation Projects

People for people

2,295 euros in donations for well construction in Africa

The Menschen für Menschen foundation has been providing sustainable development cooperation in Ethiopia for almost 40 years. In ten project regions, around 640 permanent employees, almost all of whom are Ethiopian, are implementing integrated rural development projects together with the local population. The NGO interlinks around 380 measures in the areas of agriculture, water, education, health and income and enables people to improve their living conditions through their own efforts.

Can you imagine life without drinking water from the tap? I find it difficult too, but it is the real everyday life of many people. In Ethiopia, for example, only every second person has access to clean water. This is exactly where this organization helps to provide access to clean water by building wells together with the population. The reason is simple: clean water changes everything. In this video , little Birhane in Dano shows what the well in her village has changed for her.

With the great donation from the lucky week, the foundation can implement almost an entire hand pump well project and thus ensure access to clean water for many families. Often the people - mostly girls or young women - have to travel miles to the nearest river or the nearest unpaved water source to fetch water, which is usually dirty and full of pathogens. By constructing hand pump wells and building spring catchments including washing places, the living conditions of an entire community are improved. In addition to the shorter distances for the girls and women, fetching water is safer and easier. The goal is to ensure 25 liters per person per day with the wells. "Since we have clean water, I can work better because I no longer have stomach problems. And above all, my daughter is sick much less often." (Itataku Wale from the village of Fati in the Borena project area)

When People for People builds a hand pump well, the whole community helps. In addition, a water committee is set up, which is trained by foundation employees to maintain the well and repair it if necessary.

Copyright People for People (Rainer Kwiotek)

These were the organizations with which we were all able to achieve so much together during our week of happiness. We are incredibly grateful to have been able to share some of our happiness and to continue to share it in the future! Because we feel it is our duty, especially as a sustainable company, to take responsibility and to honestly inform you about how we do it.

And if you now feel like you want to find out more about the organizations or would like to support them further, please take a look at the websites!

Your Marie