Save in order to help

Every month, our students at Deutsche Schule Medellín, contribute to support students from other educational institutions. 

With 4.000 pesos a month, students at Deutsche Schule Medellín help build better lives. That money is invested into solidarity programs from institutions close to our School. In order to leverage these resources, we establish priorities depending on their needs. Thanks to the effort from students from Klasse 11 and 12, we have sensitized the community. “We have been doing this since we were little” the student María Vélez explains. And now that they have internalized that donation, they’ve started a campaign to invite other students to do the same. They dedicate a part of their allowances to do this. “If each student saves a thousand pesos every week, they could help a lot with that money” Claudia Restrepo, Academic Vice President at DSM - Deutsche Schule Medellín, expresses. 

Students learn about solidarity from their families first. Then, other institutions, such as the school, reinforce it.

“We are very privileged. And giving some of what we have, gives us huge satisfaction” the student Victoria Bautista affirms. Until she was in Klasse 7, Maria’s parents were the ones who gave her the money for the donation, “but I had to tell them, this must come from me. When they started giving me my allowance, they immediately taught me to contribute from it”. 

The Vice Principal thinks that students learn about solidarity from their families first. Then, other institutions, such as the school, reinforce it. “We expect our students to learn that they play a key role in society; that they are a part of a chain, a gearbox, that makes things work. And if I donate today, others will do the same later”. 

Students from Klasse 11 and 12 have been working on some solidarity projects, donating their time and their knowledge to some nearby institutions. They have seen the impact of their work, and they have talked about what it means to be charitable. And, above all, they recognize that this is something that they should do on their own and not rely on their parents. “We want to be the bridge between the students, the people who lead these solidarity programs at School, and the people from the Educational Community who benefit from our actions” María and Victoria explain. They are members of the groups that help institutions with limited resources through the CAS program (Creativity, Activity and Service). This program is one of the cornerstones of the International Baccalaureate. “For example, we want to plan educational trips with the entire School so that our students can meet those people who have benefited from our programs” they add. 

Commitment to society is another message that they want to get across: “when we donate from our own allowances, we feel huge satisfaction. We want boys and girls to learn how to share. We live in a world in which people’s needs are usually taken for granted” Victoria says. 

Claudia Restrepo also remembers that this small donation means a lot for many families: “Happiness, smiles, knowing that they will have enough food for a few days or, perhaps, that they will get to enjoy some fun activities. We know that this is not a big transformation, but we make sure that our students are impacting other people’s lives positively”. And she adds: “We are planting a seed, so that when they become professionals, they can keep effecting real change”.