“Do good and talk about it”
                                                                                    (Erich Kästner, German author)

Usually ELTEN acts according to Charles Dickens’ principle “Do as many good things as you possibly can, and talk as little as possible about it”. But the Erich Kästner’s quotation from the headline continues: „Do good and talk about it, so that imitators turn up.” 

 Projects in need of help and support are ten a penny. Of course, if it was possible, one would like to give all these projects a leg up with a little donation, but due to the multitude of enquiries one has to set one’s priorities – unfortunately.

We have decided to foster especially those projects which are closely linked to the topic health and safety protection at the workplace. An example for such a project is the hall construction for the Ithuba Skills College in Montic, South Africa. You certainly now wonder what a school might have to do with health and safety protection at the workplace? Well, that is quite obvious: the school had to be built!

A group of architecture students from the RWTH Aachen University made common, honorary cause with local pupils, tradesmen and other voluntary helpers in the summer of 2008: according to the motto “DIY”, one building of the school was constructed. The Ithuba Skills College in Montic, South Africa, is not a usual school. Apart from subjects such as English, Mathematics or natural sciences, the pupils are also enabled to learn practical abilities in a five-year training, e.g. bricklayer, carpenter or electrician.

As you can see, this is a place where people work. And health and safety protection should have a very high priority at the workplace. ELTEN equipped all voluntary helpers with safety shoes. We are proud that we were able to make a little contribution to a wonderful project.