CHARITY WORK

The Aarohan charity was officially created in 2005, although it was first conceived in 2003 by Rani Patel. Faced with the consequences of the petty crime of these ‘street children’ (her car was repeatedly vandalized) Rani realised that she had to do something to help them prepare their futures. So, her journey started with 7 children with the sole aim of eradicating illiteracy. 

Aarohan is a New Delhi based children’s charity that’s devoted to helping underprivileged children understand that they have a right to an education. The aim is to assist children who are not able to attend school due to exceptional personal circumstances. The work of Aarohan focuses on the ‘slum’ children of New Delhi who are forced to eke out a being homeless. These young children spend their days collecting rags and combing through rubbish heaps so that they and their families may exist.

Today Aarohan has helped over 1700 children, over 750 achieving mainstream formal schooling, helping over 350 children a year. All the children also receive a nutritious meal each day. Our main fundraising activities for Aarohan are non-uniform days, used uniform sales and bake sales.

IKOKU supports the efforts of the Turkana people through a charity called Emalaikat, in particular by providing clean water, sanitation, and a mobile clinic.

Emalaikat has been present in Turkana for 25 years. Its main aim is to implement projects to effectively relieve povertyn and sickness.

Emalaikat also preserves and protects good health by providing and assisting in the provision of medical care and treatment. This includes preventative healthcare and the promotion of health education, focussing on the cause of diseases.

The aim of MADS is to try to make a difference by increasing student awareness on global and local issues, both humanitarian and environmental, and to raise funds to alleviate global and local problems. MADS supports a number of charities and associations as the needs arise and according to student wishes.

Students from MADS have volunteered and raised funds for La Caravane de la Solidarité which has provided much-needed food parcels to those in need as a consequence of the COVID 19 pandemic lockdowns. MADS also supports the CDL weight gain for the association Partage and helps to organize a CDL collection for the Gift Box Project for underprivileged children in Eastern Europe.

Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, made famous by the film Intouchables, kindly agreed to MADS request to come to CDL to speak to students and parents about overcoming adversity after an accident made him a tetraplegic. MADS has subsequently continued to support the Foyer Handicap in Geneva and hopes to organize more events to raise awareness.

Some recent student initiatives have included the creation of a MADS cookbook, proceeds of which will go the Lemons – a Swiss cancer research fundraising drive started by a CDL alumnus, and jewellery creation where the proceeds will go towards Schizophrenia research for the association Fondamentale.

Our recent Knitathon has provided students with the opportunity to release stress and learn a new skill. The finished products are for purchase and proceeds will be donated to all the charities that MADS supports.

SOA supports an orphanage in Zambia known as the "Serenje Orphans Children's Home" (SOCH). This orphanage has a capacity of 44 children. Each year, we raise 60% of the total running costs of approximately CHF 32,000, with the remainder being raised by another international school, St George’s British International School in Rome.

SOA offers a range of fun activities for students, parents, and staff across our school.

The ‘Middle School SOA Lock-in’ involves Middle School students raising funds by spending a night at the school to experience a taste of what life could be like without their usual food, soft bed, and electronics.

The ‘SOA Rocks Concert’ is a charity event in which the CDL community performs on stage in front of a diverse audience.

Moreover, other charity events include the SOA Tour du Lac and SOA Reach for the Stars.

The origins of Watu begin in the misty fjords of Norway travelling via the beauty of Florence to the shores of Lake Leman.

Money raised by Watu has been matched by the Righ Foundation and these funds have been used to support scholarships for talented Tanzanian students who have little or no means to pay for their continued education.

WATU raises funds through regular bake sales, greeting card sales, raffles, annual ‘Silent Auction’ (PFA), and WATU student sponsorships. WATU also receives support from School Dances and International Day. WATU has received the ECIS ‘Outreach’ Award. (ECIS stands for Education Collaborative International Schools).