Block ID: #section–hero-page-block_9a9a06bc2defb729161d62301de8a0c3

DCKH e.V.: DZI donation seal of approval renewed

DCKH

13-10-2022

Block ID: #section–text-block_648061df2049c8b1dc97ecb51c930f4a

Trust is the indispensable basis of our work. Without the trust of our donors, not only would our work be impossible, we simply could not exist as an association. We are always aware of this, and this awareness guides us in our daily work. Therefore, we always work to ensure transparency and that our work always meets the highest standards in terms of seriousness and correctness.

An important sign of recognition for these efforts is the Donation Seal of the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI), which is awarded to organizations that “handle the funds entrusted to it carefully and responsibly. What’s more, seal organizations voluntarily commit to meeting the DZI standards and thus to meeting the highest standards of quality. They are efficient, work transparently, operate economically, provide factual and truthful information and have effective control and supervisory structures. In this way, they ensure that the donations they receive fulfill their charitable purpose.”

#section–text-image-block_3d09672eee8e2c7e96e83409a677b13b

The DZI donation seal certifies that an organization meets the seven Donation Seal Standards:

The organization works in accordance with its statutes.
Management and supervisory organs are appropriately structured, clearly separated from each other, and effective.
Advertising and public relations provide clear, true, factual and open information.
The share of advertising and administrative expenses in total expenses doesn’t exceed DZI standards (10% to less than 20%). The effectiveness of the use of funds is reviewed and the results are documented and published.
Compensations paid by the organization take into account its non-profit status, qualifications, level of responsibility, and industry standards.
Fundraising and use of funds, as well as the organization’s financial situation, are documented in a comprehensible manner and audited appropriately.
The organization reports openly and comprehensively on its work, structures and finances.

Block ID: #section–text-block_3f5d28bf4996d332b28017be55609472

Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V. is therefore proud to have held the DZI donation seal since 2012 (based on our 2010 annual financial statements). The seal must be renewed regularly. For this purpose, the DZI checks whether the organization being audited continues to meet the seven organizational and financial criteria for the donation seal.

We are proud to announce that Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V. has just passed this annual audit and is now entitled to carry the DZI donation seal for another year starting October 1, 2022. We are very pleased about this renewed confirmation of our work and will continue to remain true to our values, as we have been doing for twenty years now.

DCKH Cleft children from all over the world From our projects Videos

DCKH

Pharaoh Tutankhamun – The oldest (and most famous?) known cleft patient?

The ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, who died in 1324 BC, is a historical figure known to many for the sensational artwork found in his tomb, including a spectacular death mask. What is less known is that the young deceased, like many people living today, was born and lived with a cleft palate.

New genetic study sheds light on how cleft lip and palate forms

There is still no reliable method to prevent the development of a cleft lip and palate. This is in no small part due to the fact that there is not one clear cause: Cleft has a multifactorial origin. One important factor is genetic. Here too, however, the situation is not clear-cut - there is no such thing as "the cleft gene". A group of researchers at the University of Bonn has now added to our knowledge about cleft by investigating the 98% of genes that do not themselves directly contain blueprints for proteins.

Daimler Symphony Orchestra: Charity concert for Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe

On Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, the Daimler Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, with pianist Marcel Mok and under its longtime musical director Matthias Baur, played a benefit concert for the Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe. The orchestra, a project of music enthusiasts from the Daimler Group, has been in existence since 1978. Former Stuttgart mayor Dr. Wolfgang Schuster gave a welcoming address.

Cleft children from all over the world

Cristóbal, a child with cleft lip and palate from Bolivia

In June 2020, Cristóbal is born with a cleft lip and palate in El Alto, Bolivia. His mother takes care of Cristobal and his two siblings and the household. His father's meager salary as a bricklayer is just enough to survive. At the clinic where Cristóbal was born, his parents received no information about his cleft lip and palate or treatment options, and the couple's family did not support them either. But Cristóbal's story has a happy ending.

Impressions from our project country Vietnam

The work in our project country Vietnam has been accompanied by the Munich doctors Dr. Denys J. Loeffelbein and Dr. Daniel Lonic since 2016. In December 2022, the two visited their colleagues and friends in Vietnam again for the first time after a pandemic-forced break of three and a half years. Here are some impressions of the work and the people there.

New hope for Noor

Noor is the Bengali word for "light". When the expectant parents Nipu and Nazmul chose this name for their unborn daughter, they did not yet know that the first months of their child's life would be clouded by a shadow: Noor was born with a bilateral cleft lip. The parents have no money for the necessary treatment and are very worried about their daughter's future. But a ray of hope is not long in coming...

From our projects

Project visit Sierra Leone

Many people in Sierra Leone are affected by extreme poverty. This also means very poor conditions and little hope for treatment for those who give birth to a child with cleft lip here. Now our long-time volunteer supporters and Africa project leaders, the highly qualified surgeons Dr. Dr. Oliver Blume and Gunther Au-Balbach, visited the country to establish contacts for a new cleft project and to provide care to the first patients.

December 2022: Project visit in Vietnam

Our help for children with cleft lip and palate would be impossible without our network of helpers. In addition to many local surgeons and other medical professionals in the partner countries, this network also includes volunteers who support our local teams with passion and skill. An intercultural exchange that is enriching for both sides. The work in our project country Vietnam has been accompanied since 2016 by the Munich doctors Dr. Denys J Loeffelbein and Dr. Daniel Lonic. In December 2022, the two visited their colleagues and friends in Vietnam again for the first time since the pandemic.

Cleft surgery mission to Dhodial, North Pakistan

To treat children with cleft lip and palate in northern Pakistan, our Cleft Pakistan team drove 1,600 kilometers from Karachi to the city of Dhodial in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. 38 patients received surgery for their clefts. For them and their families, this is the start of a new life.

Videos

The story of Maui, cleft child from Colombia

Our new project to help children with cleft lip and palate in Colombia begins with a very unusual case. Maui was born with a cleft lip and palate. His parents belong to an indigenous people and do not know how to get him the help he needs. By a happy coincidence, Julia, a Swiss woman living in Colombia, is a neighbor of the family and offers to help. In search of treatment options, she comes across Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe.

Video: Impressions from Bolivia

The parents of our cleft children are always full of gratitude. When their child is born with cleft, they often do not know what to make of the malformation, much less that it can be treated. And even if they do - most of our little patients come from the poorest of backgrounds. Their parents could never afford the operation. It is an unimaginable happiness for them to learn that their children can receive qualified treatment, and free of charge even. This wonderful, touching film from our Bolivian aid project captures these special moments of happiness.

Video: Impressions from Pakistan

This film, made for our Pakistani partner organization, the Al-Mustafa Welfare Societey, by the father of one of our patients, shows scenes from our work in Karachi. From here, our senior surgeon Prof. Ashraf Ganatra treats cleft children from poorest families. He operates the children from Karachi at the Al Mustafa Medical Center. In order to reach the many needy families living outside the city, he also regularly heads out to local provincial hospitals to treat cleft patients there.