For many years, we have developed numerous strategies, brooded over them repeatedly and for a long time, made adjustments, received advice and, often, impatiently insisted on the implementation of the beautiful thoughts and plans.

In the meantime, we have moved away from constantly forging new strategies and plans. However, none of this is of any use if the local realities are not thoroughly researched and understood. Otherwise, outside help is of no value and the reported success is usually a lie.

This means that we have to learn to understand facts that are often alien to our own culture and way of thinking. Time can move at a completely different pace than we are used to. We rely less and less on our vaunted intellectual thinking and analytical skills.

We keep talking about “identification” as one of our core competencies. It takes a lot of effort to find out which child is actually in need, where they come from, why they are in need, how they can be helped sustainably and how aftercare can be ensured.

The quality of these investigations and the subsequent measures are decisive for the future fate of the children we look after. Local know-how, freedom from corruption and a proven working concept are the key “strategic pillars”.

As already described in the foreword of our annual report 2023, we now want to help the entire structure and work of Mamadou & Bineta to become even more independent and fully anchored locally.

For these reasons, it is not necessary for us to present new strategies at this point. We now have enormous respect for what our employees do on a daily basis, the children’s fates they are confronted with at close quarters and how they deal with them.

In future, they will be the ones to develop the right strategies.