The NGO

Extract of the German statutes

Preamble:

The work of African Information Movement e.V. (AIM. Germany) is based on the vision, to empower the youth to make their community an attractive place to live in. The main focus is to support the partner organisation African Information Movement (AIM. Ghana), a local NGO in Ghana.

Furthermore the NGO offers an international development voluntary service, whereby young Germans do an internship with the partner organisation in Ghana. This internship has the goal to empower the future of the Youth in the region of Komenda, especially by builiding up a non-profit-making training center. The core area of this education program is to impart knowledge on ICT.

§ 3 – Purpose of the NGO:

The purpose of African Information Movement e.V. based in Freiburg has only charitable goals as defined by the part “tax-advantaged purpose” of the tax code.

The purpose of the NGO is the encouragement

1. of education and breeding, as well as
2. Youth welfare, as well as
3. development cooperation

The purpose 1. and 2. are especially realised by:

• activities of Youth meetings and Youth recreation,
• executions of seminars, workshops and project days, as well as
• training for Youth leaders

Furthermore the NGO is a development association as defined by § 58 Nr. 1 AO, who uses their means to support the purposes of §3, 2. paragraph of statute of the tax-advantaged purpose of other tax-advantaged statutory corporations or tax-advantaged public body.

The purpose of this statute is realised by the acquisition of financial means like NGO fees, donations and beneficial events, which support the advertisement of the supported purposes.

In his function as a development association the purpose of statute 3 is reached by focusing on the collaboration with the Ghanaian partner organisation „African Information Movement Ghana (AIM. Ghana)“.

AIM. Ghana is supporting educational chances for the young population in rural areas in the central region of Ghana and is realising various development aid projects like drinking water supply.

Next to the financial encouragement AIM. Germany supports different projects in Ghana by the delegation of volunteers.

Extracts of the Ghanaian statute

Preambel:

Us, the members of African Information Movement, recognised the necessity to identify the needs of the Youth in the rural areas regarding poverty, social exclusion and violation and to take over responsibility for the society. Therefore, we will bond to these terms, regulations and instructions of this carried out statute.

Article 1

Goals of the NGO

• Mobilsation of young people for education in technical skills and economic and social development
• Education of young people to resolve Ghanaian problems independently
• Improvement of prospects for young people
• Support of the education for young and talented people
• Decrease of the migration from the countryside to cities
• Encouragement and strengthening of the awareness and respect for human and civil rights

Vision

Nowadays one of the biggest challenges is the empowerment of knowledge and education as a key for a successful and sustainable development. In the computing industry, the access to information- and communication technology (ICT) has an immense impact to bridge the gap between South and North.

Our goal is to encourage the education and their facilities for young people. The building for an ICT training center in the rural area will improve the prospects of a younger generation and supports the education of young and talented people. Furthermore the AIM. Youth Club is a social institution, which is necessary to achieve the goals of our organisation.

HOW EVERYTHING STARTED

Both Michael von Stackelberg and Johannes Evers lived for a long period of time in Ghana and were volunteering for the Freiburg NGO, Baobab Children Foundation e.V., in the Ghanaian village Kissi.

They worked together with children of a partner school and were leading a Youth Club, which supported the extracurricular engagement of the students.

The idea to build up a computer school occurred in November 2003. Both Freiburgers were inspired by the story from one of their Ghanaian friend Sammy Kession, who was able to teach himself how to use computers.

As well he was able to purchase some computers. He runs the only printing- and copying business in this village. With this small business he is able to finance his university studies.

THE INITIATIVE IN FREIBURG

African Information Movement was the result of this initiative. In August 2004 both Freiburgers were back in Germany and started, together with a self-employed executive consultant Andreas Schmitt the NGO African Information Movement.

Surprisingly fast they found other people with the same mindset and their plan was realised: After a foundation meeting in October 2004 African Information Movement was founded and since November 2004 is a registered and beneficial NGO.

THE MOVEMENT FOR MORE EDUCATION IN GHANA

Back in Ghana Michael von Stackelberg and his wife Juliana Awortwe found also in the focused project place Komenda, a small village at the Atlantic coast, interested people and supporters to build up a computer school in the village. In 2005 family members of Juliana Awortwe set up important steps for prepare for upcoming activities. They bought the plot of land, where the school should be built and set up a water reservoir.

In 2006 AIM. Ghana was founded by Solomon Appiah, Papa Kodwo Mbir and Jörn Preuß. Since April 2007 AIM. Ghana is officially registered as a Non-Government-Organisation. Therefore AIM. Ghana is operating with their own statute based on the Ghanaian business law from 1963.

After the foundation of the NGO in Ghana the managing boards of AIM. Ghana and AIM. Germany recognised, after an analysis of the situation from teenagers in Komenda, that the goal needed to be modified to cope with the educational development in Ghana. The „computer school“ should become a „community computer-training centre“ with focus on ICT, economics, tourism and sustainable development.

Future students should have the possibility to take care of the future of the community and support development in the rural area. This should be a method to reduce the escape from the Youth from villages to cities and to support a  long term development for the affected areas.

Soon AIM. started other projects to improve the living conditions of people, especially for kids and teenager. Therefore the first Youth Club was founded in 2007 in Komenda. With the educational and environmental program the AIM. Youth Club was able to convince the German ambassador Dr. Markus Haas, to finance two water tanks to reduce shortness of water and breakout of Cholera. In November 2008 the ambassador personally showed up to inaugarate this project. This was an essential event in the history of AIM..

The improvement of the drinking water situation and the presence of the German ambassador lead to a change of the locals’ view regarding AIM. They were convinced that AIM. was achieving an impact on the development of the village and were willing to support AIM. in their activities.

This was and is the base on which AIM. is working. Meanwhile AIM. Ghana is a regional recognised, trustworthy and transparent partner for development work.

DEVELOPMENT TOPICS IN GERMANY

In Germany the NGO built an independent Youth organisation of African Information Movement in 2007, which is called AIM. Youth. They are having the same goals like AIM: Equality of oportunities in one world. They are working towards this goals with open Youth meetings, international Youth Work and developmental projects.

The AIM. Youth is cooperating with different Senior High Schools in Freiburg and is organising, with guidance of Johannes Evers, the yearly beneficial African Kiss festival.

Until 2014 the board members of the AIM. Youth had one counting vote among the board members of AIM.. In 2014 the board members of AIM. decided during a board meeting due to a proposal of the AIM. Youth to spin the AIM. Youth off as an independent Youth organisation. Of course this doesn’t mean the end for the encouragement of the Youth for education in Ghana.

Especially during the last years a tight cooperation was built up together with the Rotteck Gymnasium (Senior High School). Various classes are introduced to development topics and they are involved in the organisation of the African Kiss festival.

The work of board members and involved members of AIM. is focused on the following topics:

• Organisation of voluntary service
• PR work with specific events related to Africa
• Gathering of donations and fundraising for the training center in Ghana
• Project communication with the Ghanaian partner