Publisher

Dentists for Africa e.V.
Belvederer Allee 25, D-99425 Weimar

Phone Sponsorship-Project: +49 (0) 3634 6048592
Phone: +49 (0) 3634 6048592
Telefax: +49 (0) 3634 6048591
Mail: info(at)dentists-for-africa.org

Register entry

Register entry:


Registry Court: Amtsgericht Sömmerda
Register number: VR150571, registered on November 19, 1999
responsible tax office: Erfurt
Tax identificaion number: 151/141/03427

Values and transparency

1Code on development-related public relations

Dentists for Africa has made it its goal to build up structures that improve the living conditions of the people through solidary cooperation with the population and local partners. Part of this work is also to introduce the relevant development policy concerns into the overall social discussion in Germany and to stimulate the dialogue between the parties involved in Kenya and Germany.

The development-related public relations work of Dentists for Africa should serve to inform about the work of the organization in Kenya and to sensitize the German population to topics that are central to the work of Dentists for Africa and the Kenyan population. In this sense, targeted public relations work should inform about the situation on site. Dentists for Africa is committed to research such information carefully and to communicate with sensitivity for the cultural context and background.

Dentists for Africa uses public relations work to demonstrate the necessity of non-material and material support of the German population for development cooperation, to account for the use of donations and to report on the support of volunteers. Central to the public relations work of Dentists for Africa is therefore to show the partnership with the local beneficiaries and to inform them about their situation with the highest sensitivity and objectivity.

Dentists for Africa is aware that development-related public relations work has a strong influence on the perception of the cultures portrayed and therefore places special emphasis on a high degree of intercultural sensitivity as well as on truthful and appropriate presentation. The organization sees itself in its function as cultural ambassador and mediator between Kenya and Germany in the high responsibility to report objectively.

Dentists for Africa attaches great importance to transparency in its public relations work. Own values, motives, as well as working methods and approaches are therefore openly presented and if necessary questioned. To understand the perspective of the people in Kenya and to communicate it to the German public is a central concern. It is assumed that people are not objects of help, but subjects of their actions. Human dignity is respected and protected in a special way.

Dentists for Africa is aware that development-related public relations work has a strong influence on the perception of the cultures portrayed and therefore places special emphasis on a high degree of intercultural sensitivity as well as on truthful and appropriate presentation. The organization sees itself in its function as cultural ambassador and mediator between Kenya and Germany in the high responsibility to report objectively.

Dentists for Africa consciously distances itself from uncritical handling of its own work and questions approaches and strategies with the knowledge of its own cultural spectacles. The public relations work communicates that the organization supports the local population in their efforts to improve their living conditions, but that the initiative originates from the Kenyan context. The role of the organization in the analysis of problem situations and the development of possible solutions is in the background and is presented accordingly in the public relations work. The difficult living conditions on site and their causes are described and explained with objectivity in order to then point out constructive approaches to solutions and encourage the German population to support the initiative.

In the public relations work of Dentists for Africa it is considered unnecessary and counterproductive to present need and misery in an exaggerated form and to arouse pity. Rather, a self-critical awareness of global contexts should be conveyed, according to which the problems such as poverty, oppression and exploitation, from which many people in the global South suffer, cannot be viewed in isolation from the global context, but are related to the political and social structures of the global North.

Through the social projects of Dentists for Africa, local structures are created, which are especially intended to improve the situation of women and children. A focus of the public relations work is therefore the presentation of the living situation, oppression and poverty of these two groups. Dentists for Africa attaches particular importance to a woman- and child-oriented presentation. Their protection is the highest priority, to which public relations work and publicity is always subordinated.

Public relations work can partly serve as a platform through which especially the women get a chance to express their opinions and views. At their own request, they can talk about their lives and the challenges of their everyday life in interviews. Strict attention is paid to ensuring that they agree to the publication and the content in advance. Such reports are published in consultation with those concerned with the aim of arousing sympathy and understanding for the situation of women. No full names are given in any publications and nothing personal is published without the consent of the persons concerned. Dentists for Africa is aware that anonymity must be respected, especially on the Internet and social platforms. We are committed to maintaining and improving the quality and professionalism of development-related public relations through continuous internal reflection and debate.

2Anti-Corruption Code

We use the following definition of corruption from Transparency International as the basis for this policy: Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private benefit or advantage.
Corruption in Kenya is deeply rooted in society and politics. Kenya is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. In the statistics of the Corruption Perception Index, which describes the perceived level of corruption in a state's public sector and is surveyed annually by Transparency International, Kenya achieved a score of 25 out of 100 possible points in 2015, with 100 indicating the lowest perception of corruption, while 0 stands for the highest possible perception of corruption.
Transparency International cites the following negative effects of corruption: foreign direct investment declines; the quality of cultural offerings, education and health care declines; productivity declines; environmental pollution increases; military spending rises; the shadow economy and inflation rise; income and wealth are distributed more unequally; and the subjective sense of happiness of private individuals declines.
Dentists for Africa (DfA) has therefore set itself the explicit goal of preventing corruption in its own projects, in dealings with authorities and in dealing with institutions. Any kind of informal payments, the offer of such payments and other dishonest payments and agreements will not be tolerated. Although corruption practices are commonplace in Kenya, DfA is committed to refrain from intimidation attempts and threats and to refrain from any approaches that are related to corruption. DfA also expressly points out to those who work for DfA in Kenya that informal payments of any kind, including to recipients of support, cannot be tolerated.

DfA expressly commits itself to a responsible use of the available resources, most of which consist of donations. An efficient and effective use of the resources entrusted to us is at the heart of the planning and organization of our projects, excluding any use of these resources for measures related to corruption.
Even though Germany is one of the least corrupt countries in the world according to the Corruption Perceptions Index, these guidelines naturally also apply to work in Germany.

Principles

Transparency
In the center of the DfA's approach to fighting corruption is transparency. The greatest possible transparency is maintained with regard to decision-making processes, the planned and actual use of resources, as well as goals and their implementation. This also includes, on the one hand, that target groups of projects are informed about goals, budgets and results achieved and, on the other hand, that DfA, partners/providers and projects provide comprehensive reports on the allocation and use of funds. All full-time and voluntary employees, as well as the members of the Board of Directors, are also obliged to report to the Board of Directors or the ombudsman's office if they are confronted with corrupt demands or notice any other form of corruption in connection with the work of DfA.

Loyality
Employees and staff members behave loyally towards their respective employers or clients and equally towards the concerns and interests of DfA. This includes constructive criticism, which must be expressed in an appropriate form. On the other hand, if information or rumors are directed against employees, they can expect their employer to carefully examine, weigh and analyze them for their protection.

Privacy
All entrusted sensitive data and information is treated confidentially. The Protection of personal data is maintained.

Participation
DfA works according to the principle of participation. It is therefore important to ensure that both employees and partners, as well as the recipients of support, have a say and the opportunity to participate. In addition, the employees must be involved in decision-making processes in an appropriate manner within the scope of their responsibilities and tasks.

Duty to report corruption, ombudsman's office
All employees in Germany and in Kenya have the right to refuse to be involved in acts suspected of corruption against their own will. There is also a duty to report and report any acts of corruption to which they are witness or victim. An ombudsman's office has been set up for this purpose. At present, the ombudsperson is: Dr. Katharina Kandt

Accountability
The work of the partners, sponsors and projects supported by the DfA is accounted for in a truthful, transparent and comprehensible manner. In addition, the origin and use of all funds is presented in detail and promptly audited by independent and professional auditors.

Compliance with laws
In fulfilling all tasks, the respective civil and criminal laws must be observed. This applies equally to the Articles of Association, as well as to (internal) rules and regulations, provided they are compatible with the Anti-Corruption Code.

Rules

active and passive bribery
It is not permitted to directly or indirectly pay bribes or give gifts or advantages to to accept or give. Low-value gifts and gifts for guests are permitted, e.g. in the context of project visits and if the acceptance corresponds to the dictates of politeness.

Conflicts of interest, personal and financial connections
Service or business relationships are not to be used to gain private advantages. In order to avoid conflicts of interest, official and private matters are to be separated. Should such a conflict of interest nevertheless occur, the respective superiors are to be informed immediately. inform. If necessary, call in the ombudsman's office if the situation is not satisfactory is clarified. The hiring of related parties by decision-makers is only permitted if they have gone through a transparently conducted application and selection process, the results of which can be verified beyond doubt.

internal controls
Internal controls and appropriate internal control systems must be in place to ensure that work processes run properly and that laws and regulations are complied with in order to prevent corrupt and corrupt behavior.

external controls
The actions and economic activities of the DfA, its partners and the sponsored sponsors and projects are regularly reviewed by independent bodies: This requires proper bookkeeping and accounting, comprehensive financial reporting and the preparation of annual financial statements that are audited and certified by independent auditors.

Economy and achievement of objectives
All available resources (financial means, personnel) are to be used goal-oriented and according to the dictates of economic efficiency. If this is not the case and efficiency and effectiveness are violated, the Board of Directors must be informed and asked to remedy the situation.

Sanctions and investigations
In the event of irregularities discovered or if initial suspicion is justified, a detailed investigation by the Board of Management must be initiated immediately. If partners, executing agencies and projects do not participate in the clarification, rectification and elimination of established allegations of corruption, DfA reserves the right to immediately terminate the business relationship and discontinue funding. Partners, executing agencies and projects have the same right, unless DfA acts accordingly.

These guidelines apply, unless otherwise specified, to any person associated with Dentists for Africa as a board member, director, or paid or volunteer employee. This includes the interests of all persons with whom such persons have a close personal relationship, including spouses, life partners, children, parents, siblings, brothers, sisters or other close family members. The anti-corruption code is known to employees and volunteers in Germany and Kenya.


3Code of Child Rights and Protection from Child Abuse

Transparency
Child abuse exists in all countries and all walks of life. The voluntary sector is also affected. It is therefore essential to empower, support and protect children. This is particularly true of development cooperation, which has numerous projects aimed specifically at children. These projects must focus on protecting and strengthening the rights of children.
Dentists for Africa (DfA) has been running a sponsorship project for many years, through which several hundred sponsorships have already been arranged in Kenya, and also enables personal contact between sponsors and sponsored children. In our dental project, prophylaxis measures are a central measure of prevention, especially for children and at schools. Our volunteers and employees work with children in schools, mobile operations and in our dental stations. Many of our volunteers are locally involved in the St. Monica Village Widows' Cooperative, where the widows' children attend a joint kindergarten. DfA is aware of the potential risk situations that result from this work. It is of utmost importance to point out such situations and take preventive measures.
DfA expressly declares that it will strengthen the rights of girls and boys and protect them from abuse and exploitation in the projects. It is our goal to create an environment that is safe for children and vulnerable people and where human rights are respected.
According to the 'UN Convention on the Rights of the Child', child means "any person below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child majority is attained earlier. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the two additional protocols form the reference framework for this code. The best interests of the child are given the highest priority.
We want to establish the protection of children and the following standards as a quality feature in our work at home and abroad. We commit ourselves:

  • To strengthen the rights of girls and boys with and without disabilities and protect them from sexual, emotional or physical abuse, exploitation and neglect;
  • to create an environment that is safe for children and persons at risk and in which respect for children's and human rights is ensured;
  • to involve children in measures affecting them and to take their interests into account when planning and implementing our activities;
  • to create awareness and sensitization within our organization and with our partners;
  • develop and implement appropriate tools including clearly defined responsibilities and procedures in the areas of prevention, crisis management and monitoring;
  • to ensure in our press, educational and public relations work that the dignity of the child is always respected;
  • to create awareness and sensitization within our organization and with our partners;
  • develop and implement appropriate tools including clearly defined responsibilities and procedures in the areas of prevention, crisis management and monitoring;
  • to ensure in our press, educational and public relations work that the dignity of the child is always respected;
  • to sensitize decision makers in politics and economy as well as networks in this sense, as far as this is possible for the organization.

This Code is reviewed by DfA at regular intervals and supplemented or amended as necessary. After a two-year test phase, the experience gained is evaluated and the measures are reviewed.


Risk analysis and preventive measures

The following rules are intended to prevent children from being endangered in DfA projects:

  • DfA's sponsorship project does not include direct care of children, but only the arrangement of sponsorships. The children live in boarding schools or with their guardians. All projects are coordinated on site by Catholic Franciscan nuns. The contact person for the sponsored children on site is Sr. Seraphine and her assistant Mercy. Due to the exclusive care by women within the sphere of influence of DfA, the risk of danger and abuse is reduced. However, the children may be at risk because DfA enables personal contact between godchildren and godmothers. Visits to the children in Kenya are desired. For such visits the strict principle applies that the children are not left alone with their godparents. The presence of another adult is a basic requirement for a meeting between godparents and godchildren. Ideally, this should be a reference person of the child.
  • Further contacts between children and staff or volunteers arise during work with the widows' cooperative St. Monica Village, during mobile missions, during school treatments and in the dental stations during the treatment of underage patients. Here, too, the rule applies that employees and volunteers must never be alone in a room with children. This applies to the protection of children as well as to the protection of employees and personnel from false accusations.
  • The contact person to whom the children can turn in case of abuse or in case of any other danger is Sr. Seraphine, who leads the sponsorship project in Nyabondo. She is known to the children as a person of trust and is already their contact person in various other matters concerning school and sponsorship. Sr. Seraphine is obligated to report any reports of endangerment or abuse of children to the board of directors immediately. This also applies to situations in which the children receive letters from their godparents whose content they find incomprehensible or unpleasant.

All staff members and employees working on DfA projects are obliged to adhere to the following rules:

To follow these Standards of Conduct for the Protection of Children; to ensure that the Standards of Conduct are observed, publicized and disseminated in the relevant work environment; to respond immediately to all concerns, accusations and incidents and bring them to the immediate attention of the DfA Board of Directors; to help create an environment that is safe, supportive and encouraging for children; to take children's opinions and concerns seriously and promote them as individuals; to treat all children with respect To follow the "two adults rule" whenever possible, i.e., to ensure that another adult is present or within reach when visits or medical treatment are being given, or when a child from one of the projects sponsored by DfA is a guest at the home of a DfA employee; if an adult is having a personal conversation with a child, care must be taken to ensure that another adult has visual contact. If individual counseling or treatment is necessary, the consent of the parent or guardian is obtained and the parent or guardian is informed of where and when it will be carried out; when photographing, filming or reporting in public relations work, the human dignity and need for protection of children must be respected, in particular, personal data must be handled with care and this must also be demanded from third parties; educational measures must be carried out without violence and without humiliation. Each undersigned undertakes never to threaten, discriminate against or intimidate children; to abuse the power conferred by position or office over a child's life and well-being; never to beat or otherwise physically abuse children or sexually, physically or emotionally abuse or exploit a child; in particular, never to engage in sexual activities with or on a child or expose a child to pornographic material; to hold, caress, kiss or touch children in an inappropriate or culturally insensitive manner; using inappropriate, indecent or abusive language; making sexual references or ambiguous acts towards a child; assisting a child unsolicited in intimate tasks that the child can perform alone (such as going to the toilet, taking a bath or changing clothes); spending excessive time with an individual child separately from the other children; tolerating or supporting illegal, dangerous and abusive behavior toward children; asking for a service or favor that is abusive or exploitative.


Procedure in suspicious cases

If a suspicion is reported to the Board of Directors of DfA, the latter must decide on further action without delay. A fast and immediate processing of all incoming reports must be ensured. The further procedure depends on how serious the reported case is and how much information is available about the specific suspected case. If the suspicion relates to a case abroad, the contact person in Kenya, Sr. Seraphine, must be informed immediately in order to initiate a preliminary investigation. As much information as possible will be collected and evaluated by the Board.
If the suspicion is not substantiated, the case is closed in writing and the involved parties are informed. If it turns out that the suspicion is confirmed and could relate to a criminal offence, a further, intensive internal investigation is immediately initiated.
If the suspicion that a criminal offence has been committed is confirmed, the case is immediately forwarded to the responsible state prosecution authorities.


Implementation with the partners in Kenya

Since DfA implements all projects in Kenya together with local partners by part-financing and providing programmatic support, it must ensure that its cooperation partners also implement child protection mechanisms. All partners and employees in Kenya are informed about these guidelines and disseminate them in their respective areas of influence. All partners and employees are obliged to report any suspected cases to DfA.


4Guidelines for the procurement of goods at Dentists for Africa

To date, Dentists for Africa (DfA) has equipped 13 dental stations in Kenya and supports them in their work, both with personnel from Germany and with educational support in Kenya. The material equipment of the dental stations was mainly realized by aid transports from Germany. It is the principle of the organization to transport only new or reconditioned and clearly functional equipment to Kenya.
DfA endeavors to procure required goods, consumables and equipment directly in Kenya. This is for ecological, economic and social reasons and ultimately contributes to strengthening the local economy. A condition for this is that with comparable quality the procurement costs in Kenya are not higher than in Germany, including transport costs and possible import tax.
Before purchasing new instruments, materials and equipment, cost estimates in Kenya and possibly also in Germany should be obtained and price comparisons made. The board of directors has the duty to decide on the most favorable offer, taking into account the quality aspect and the economical handling of donations. A preferably long-term use of all purchases is our main focus.
Equipment donated in Germany is tested for trouble-free operation and, if necessary and economically justifiable, repaired and shipped to Kenya when the need is clearly present. For donated consumables, it must be ensured that the expiration date is not exceeded before use.
To support the above principles, DfA, with the help of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph Asumbi, has established a central camp at Christamarianne Hospital in Kisii. Donated equipment and materials from Germany will first be stored here and then distributed as needed. Equipment and materials purchased in Kenya will also be used.
DfA works according to the principle of help for self-help. The development of dependencies should therefore be avoided. The long-term goal of the organization is to transfer the dental stations into Kenyan hands.

5Organigramm
6Letter of exemption from the tax office

Disclaimer

Liability for content

The contents of our pages have been created with the utmost care. However, we cannot assume any liability for the correctness, completeness and topicality of the contents. As a service provider, we are responsible for our own content on these pages in accordance with the general laws in accordance with Section 7 (1) TMG. Pursuant to Sections 8 to 10 of the TMG, however, we as a service provider are not obliged to monitor transmitted or stored third-party information or to investigate circumstances that indicate illegal activity. Obligations to remove or block the use of information in accordance with the general laws remain unaffected. However, liability in this respect is only possible from the moment of knowledge of a specific infringement. If we become aware of such infringements, we will remove this content immediately.

Liability for links

Our offer contains links to external websites of third parties, on whose contents we have no influence. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for these third-party contents. The respective provider or operator of the pages is always responsible for the contents of the linked pages. The linked pages were checked for possible legal violations at the time of linking. Illegal contents were not recognizable at the time of linking. However, a permanent control of the content of the linked pages is not reasonable without concrete indications of a violation of the law. If we become aware of any infringements of the law, we will remove such links immediately.

Copyright

The content and works created by the site operators on these pages are subject to German copyright law. The duplication, editing, distribution and any kind of exploitation outside the limits of copyright require the written consent of the respective author or creator. Downloads and copies of this site are only permitted for private, non-commercial use. Insofar as the contents on this page were not created by the operator, the copyrights of third parties are respected. In particular, third-party content is marked as such. Should you nevertheless become aware of a copyright infringement, please note accordingly. If we become aware of any infringements, we will remove such content immediately. .

The presentation of this website in external frames is only permitted with written permission


Privacy

Below you will find information about the collection of personal data when using our website. Personal data includes all data that can be personally accessed (e.g. name, address, e-mail addresses, user behaviour, IP address). The use of contact data published within the scope of the site notice obligation by third parties for sending unsolicited advertising and information material is hereby expressly objected to. The operators of the pages reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited sending of advertising information, e.g. by spam mails.

What personal data do we collect?

We collect, store, use, transmit or delete the following personal data:

  • Interested parties of our website and partners who are natural persons
  • All other natural persons who are in contact with our practice (e.g. staff members, members of DfA, sponsors, donors, employees of legal persons, visitors to our website)
  • We will collect your personal data when you contact us, e.g. by e-mail or telephone

    We process the following personal data:

  • Personal details (e.g. first and last name, address, date and place of birth, e-mail address, telephone number, bank details);
  • Data on your online behaviour and preferences (e.g. IP addresses, unique identification features of mobile devices, data about your visits to our website, terminal devices with which you have visited our website)
  • Who will receive, if necessary, Your personal data?

    If individual functions of our website rely on commissioned service providers, we inform you in detail about the respective processes in their data protection declaration.

    What is the purpose of your data and with what justification can we use it?

    If you use our website exclusively to inform yourself about DfA, we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. If you wish to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website and to ensure stability and security (legal basis is Art. 6 sec. 1 p. 1 lit. f GDPR):

  • IP address, date and time of the request
  • Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
  • Contents of the request (concrete page)
  • Access status/HTTP status code
  • Amount of data transferred in each case
  • Website from which the request has been issued
  • Browser, language and version of the browser software.
  • Operating system and its interface
  • In addition to this data, cookies are also stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your hard drive as associated with the browser you are using and through which certain information flows to the place that sets the cookie (in this case, through us). Cookies cannot run programs or transmit viruses to your computer. They are used to make the Internet more user-friendly and effective overall. This website uses only transient cookies. Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close the browser. This includes session cookies. These store a so-called session ID, which can be used to assign various requests from your browser to the common session. This allows your computer to be recognized when you return to our website. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or close the browser. You can configure your browser setting according to your wishes and, for example, refuse to accept third-party cookies or all cookies. Please note that you may not be able to use all the features of this website with such settings.

    If you contact us by e-mail or via our contact form, the data you provide (your e-mail address and, if applicable, your name and phone number) will be stored by us to answer the request. We delete the data generated in this instance after the storage is no longer necessary or restrict the processing if there are legal retention obligations (legal basis is Art. 6 sec. 1 p. 1 lit. b GDPR). We would like to point out that data transmission over the Internet (e.g. when communicating via e-mail) may have security gaps.

    What rights do you have in connection with data protection?

    You have the following rights with regard to your personal data:

  • Right to Information
  • Right to rectification or deletion
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to object to the processing
  • Right to data portability
  • How can you complain if necessary?

    The first point of contact for complaints regarding data processing at DfA is our office. You also have the option to contact the data protection supervisory authority responsible for us with a complaint in connection with data processing:

    Thuringian State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
    Dr. Lutz Hasse
    P. 90 04 55

    Privacy policy for the Facebook plugin ("Like")

    This website uses plugins provided by the provider Facebook.com by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304 in the USA. Users of our website, on which the Facebook plugin ("Like" button) is installed, are hereby informed that the plugin establishes a connection to Facebook, whereby a transmission to your browser is carried out so that the plugin appears on the website. Furthermore, data is forwarded to the Facebook servers through the use, which contains information about your website visits on our homepage. This means that for logged-in Facebook users, the usage data is assigned to your personal Facebook account. As soon as you actively use the Facebook plugin as a logged-in Facebook user (e.g. by clicking on the "Like" button or using the comment function), this data will be transferred to your Facebook account and published. You can only work this out by logging out of your Facebook account in advance. For more information regarding the use of data by Facebook, please refer to the data protection regulations on Facebook under http://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php.

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