For twenty-five years now, CARE & FAIR has been working together with importers, retailers and carpet producers to fight illegal child labour and improve living conditions for carpet knotters and their families.
We have raised around 11 million EUR through membership fees, donations and import and export duties, and through sponsorship money collected in Germany, India and Pakistan.
Our well-thought-out and lean structures mean that only around 15% of this went on administrative costs in Germany – and less than 7% in the countries of origin – allowing us to directly invest approx. 9 million EUR in various different projects.
Considering that CARE & FAIR is financed entirely through membership and donations, this is something we can be proud of. A look at our »highlights« from the last 25 years also show this. Thousands of children in India, Nepal and Pakistan have received a school education thanks to CARE & FAIR, and some even a university degree. In the clinics we supported, injuries both large and small were treated and illnesses cured, and more and more women are gaining independence for themselves through our education programme. Child labour in the carpet industry is rarely reported, but CARE & FAIR has made a decisive contribution to changing this situation.
The financial support of our members has allowed us to increase parents’ awareness of the importance of allowing their children to go to school, and to support schools, clinics and educational programs.
While early on our funds came mainly from Germany, today we also receive considerable sums from all over the world – including Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Canada, the USA and Australia.
Sponsors often offer us several years’ support for a specific project. This helps us to plan reliably for the long-term. Many sponsors regularly visit “their” projects and offer their own ideas for their further development.
Of course, our work with the association also presents us with some challenges.With the declining number of carpet imports, our income and thus our opportunities to support children working in the knotting regions are declining.
We aim to meet these challenges by actively seeking and finding solutions. Despite financial restrictions in recent years, we have been able to maintain all of CARE & FAIR projects in India and Pakistan.
We look forward to many more successful years with you at our side.
We’ll keep you posted.
Warm regards,
Volker Heinrich
1. Chair / Treasurer
CARE & FAIR
