Darmstadt, Germany [APD; CD EUDNews]. "Only a few people who ever pioneer a new idea, actually turn it into a success story. Generally, most initiatives are like built on sand, and you never hear about them again," said Manuela Rossbach, Managing Director of "Germany Relief Association" (ADH - Aktion Deutschland Hilft). This is not our case. The joining together of German aid organizations performing rapid humanitarian response to natural disasters and refugee issues, would be "a real success story."
"Together we can provide faster relief" is the motto. “In an emergency, it is necessary to stick together and to pool the available forces and resources for the sake of the people”, stressed Rossbach. That is not always true. Organizations in competitive situations could lead to mistakes and failures. The Association does the opposite and by using cooperation, improves the quality of the emergency response. ADRA Germany was a founding member of ADH.
Former ADRA Germany director Erich Lischek and ADRA Germany spokesman Heinz-Hartmut Wilfert were chosen "the greatest pioneers" as part of the ADH Board meeting in Berlin under the auspices of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs. In a tribute by ADH CEO Bernd Pastors and the Managing Director Manuela Rossbach, they were honored because of their long-standing dedication at ADH under former Federal Presidents Richard von Weizsäcker and Horst Köhler. Erich Lischek and Heinz-Hartmut Wilfert are regarded "as the founders of ADRA Germany". "It was their ideas and their visionary foresight that not only designed and built ADRA Germany, but also made them part of the ADH success story."
Lischek retired December 31, 2013 after more than 26 years managing activities at ADRA Germany and now also terminates his position as Supervisory Board at ADH. Wilfert was Head of the Working Group Public Relations at ADH for over ten years. He will retire on May 1, 2014.
About ADRA
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the purpose of providing individual and community development and disaster relief. It was founded in 1956, and it is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America.
In 2004, ADRA reported assisting nearly 24 million people with more than US$159 million in aid. Its staff numbered over 4,000 members. As of the end of 2007, it had operations in 125 countries. According to Forbes, in 2005, ADRA ranked among America's 200 largest charities.
Charity Navigator has rated ADRA 4 out of 4 stars with a score of 61.9 out of 70; with 93.2% of funding spent on program expenses, 4.1% on administration expenses, and 2.6% on fundraising.
pictures: 1. Erich Lischek, former ADRA Deutschland director and Co-Founder; 2. Heinz-Hartmut Wilfert, ADRA Deutschland Spokesman and Co-Founder; (Facebook)
