Our Projects

Supporting destitute Women and Children (and Travel)

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Breaking free from their partner’s violence often means for many women to start over with nothing: Their livelihood is uncertain and it is necessary to obtain new passports, ID cards, birth certificates and other important documents. There is often no money to pay the fare for the many trips to public offices, schools, daycare centres and doctors. The children need toys, school supplies, clothes and more.
 

Courage, energy and the will to stand up for one’s own safety and that of the children are important factors, but unfortunately it takes more to achieve a self-determined and violence-free life. 


The women’s shelter offers protection, counselling, support, short-term emergency food supplies and also emotional and social support. Therefore, we need your help to raise the necessary funds!


Women and their children need support above all for:

• Purchase of public transport tickets so that they are not restricted in their movements

• Securing livelihood on a temporary basis until the applications for state benefits have been granted

• Replacement of destroyed passports, certificates and documents

• Legal advice and representation, e.g. to clarify questions relating to residence law

• Financing medical certificates regarding injuries and ailments as a result from the violence they were subjected to

• Medical care in cases of restricted access to healthcare


Women-Mother-Child-Travel:
Women-Mother-Child-Travel: Once in two years we organise a trip of several days length to the Baltic Sea for the women, mothers and their children who live in our women’s shelter. This trip is financed exclusively from donations and our employees who have a background in social pedagogics accompany the travelers with their expert knowledge. For many of our adult and “little” residents this is the first time ever to go on a holiday.

You can send us your donation securely and conveniently indicating as purpose “Support for destitute women and children (and travelling)” (Unterstützung mittelloser Frauen und Kinder (und Reise) by using our donation form.

Male Role Models – Leisure and Culture

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Culture and Leisure:
Your donation will enable children and their mothers to take part in cultural and leisure activities. Together with the women and children, we organise parties, celebrations and group activities for women and children in the women’s shelter. Your donation will enable us to organise a Christmas party, a summer party or the sugar festival.


Male Role Models:
This project is based on the fact that the children living in our women’s refuge had fathers who were violent, disrespectful, disregardful and careless towards them and their mothers. They were afraid, insecure, tried to mediate, felt responsible for the situation and were hurt.
Experiencing a man who is attentive, loving and caring towards them, who respects and upholds his own and other people’s boundaries, who listens and approaches them with respect, is a new and special experience for most girls and boys.

“Male role models for children” is a co-educational leisure programme for girls and boys at the women’s shelter. Children will experience women and men in a positive way. They will learn that it is possible for women and men, boys and girls to live together without violence and to resolve conflicts together and in mutual respect. 

This programme has been an important part of our prevention work with children since 2004. Due to its successful implementation and the fact that the girls and boys participated in this project with enthusiasm, we try to offer it on a weekly basis. We need you! Your help is essential to maintain this programme. We need donations to fund a male external free-lancer so that these activities and excursions can take place. 

With your donation for “Male role models – leisure and culture” you help girls and boys to form a personality strong enough to fend off violence and to develop self-respect and engage in respectful relationships with others. 
You can send us your donation securely and conveniently indicating as purpose “Male Role Models – Leisure and Culture” (“Männliche Rollenvorbilder – Freizeit und Kultur”) by using our donation form.


Women’s Shelter and Association development

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These donations go into the budget of the women’s shelter and into the (further) development of our supporting association Cocon e.V. – Frauenverein Berlin which is our funding body. Our supporting association also needs funds to be able to maintain and secure our women’s shelter, e.g. for paying services like legal advice or insurances such as legal protection insurance. Furthermore, we have a passenger accident insurance for our minibus, which we use to help women move house or go on excursions with the children. Your donation strengthens our supporting association and thus our women’s shelter.

You can send us your donation securely and conveniently indicating as purpose “Women’s shelter and association development” (“Frauenhaus und Vereinsentwicklung” by using our donation form.

In-Kind Donation

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We regularly receive enquiries from people who would like to support us with in-kind donations. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept in-kind donations such as items or clothing as we do not have any storage facilities at the moment.