Emergency situation: Help for India

May. 2021

India is going through an extremely difficult time. The country has already registered more than 21 million Covid-19 cases, with around 450,000 daily new cases. The health system is already completely overstretched, and with the scarcity of hospital beds and oxygen, the fatality rate is spiking up. This dire situation is affecting the children either directly or indirectly through the loss of family members.

Our two KinderHaus facilities in India are also struggling. During the first wave of the pandemic, the PATRIZIA Foundation has already supported their partner organizations with funds from the Corona Fund Education Healthcare. But with the outbreak of the second, much worse wave, more help is urgently needed.

The current situation in the PATRIZIA KinderHaus facilities in India

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the PATRIZIA Foundation has been in close contact with its partner organizations, including the Evangelical Lutheran Missionary Society in Lower Saxony (ELM), and its partner church in India, the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC), which operates the PATRIZIA Child Care Porayar. Almost all the girls from the dormitory had to be sent home, but many families live in great poverty and so the risk of the virus still comes from hunger. Many parents have lost their jobs in the lockdown or have themselves got sick with Covid-19. 

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PATRIZIA Child Care Govindpur is our second KinderHaus facility in India. It was supposed to be completed in the summer, but the construction work had to be stopped due to the new lockdown. The Indian state has also closed all kindergartens in the country. It is not possible to make a reliable forecast of when construction can continue. The partner for this project is the Gossner Mission and the Gossner Church in India, which will run the kindergarten on site. Within the members of the Gossner Church are many sick people and also deaths to be mourned.

“We are shocked by the escalating situation in India and the many sick and dead that also exist in the families of the children and employees of our KinderHaus facilities,” says Petra Ellert from the foundation’s partner management. “In addition to the emergency measures, we will work to ensure that children can finish their education, even if their parents’ income is lost due to the lockdown or they may even have lost a parent through Covid-19. Only if they can go back to school will they have a chance for a better future,” says Petra Ellert. 

Donations to the coronavirus relief fund are therefore still urgently needed. 

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A Musical Programme with Lasting Impact

Young musicians from the MiSST programme welcomed guest with an opening performance.

Throughout the evening, the students further captivated guests with their performances, including Adoration by Florence Price and selected pieces from The Phantom of the Opera.  

An Evening of Shared Vision and Personal Stories

In his welcoming speech, founder Wolfgang Egger talked about the importance of investing in young people and creating opportunities that allow them to thrive — academically, personally and socially. Ambassador Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber delivered a passionate speech on the importance of protecting arts education in the UK, particularly at a time when music and creative subjects continue to face significant cuts within the school system. He spoke movingly about the responsibility to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to creativity, culture and music education.

Chairwoman of the Board Astrid Gabler, together with Board Member James Muir, reflected on their recent visit to one of the programme’s partner schools. James shared how deeply a passionate music teacher had influenced him during his own school years and how this experience continues to shape his belief in the importance of the support in education infrastructure. 

Rachel Landon, CEO MiSST, brought the programme vividly to life through inspiring footage and powerful stories from participating students, offering guests a meaningful glimpse into the daily impact of the initiative.

 

One of the evening’s most memorable moments came from Rain Spiegel-Johnson, a former participant of the programme, who shared her personal story and reflected on the impact music education has had on her life. Growing up in a low-income household, opportunities to take part in extracurricular arts education were often out of reach, leaving her feeling excluded from experiences many others could access. Through MiSST, however, she discovered a creativity and confidence that had long remained hidden.

Speaking about her experience, she described music not only as a form of artistic expression, but also as a powerful sense of belonging:

“Through music, I discovered not only artistry, but the profound feeling of being part of an ensemble so unified, disciplined and unwaveringly beautiful.”

She also emphasized the broader importance of the programme, calling MiSST “an outstanding microcosm for the future of music and the arts in this country.”

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and our Ambassador, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, for the “Thrive Cubed with Music” evening in support of music education in the UK — and for your shared commitment to creating new opportunities for young people through the power of music!

PATRIZIA Music Programme

With the PATRIZIA Music Programme, the PATRIZIA Foundation continues its commitment to educational support and equal opportunities across Europe. The programme was established to provide children and young people from disadvantaged communities in the United Kingdom with access to high-quality music education and to open new pathways for their personal and academic development. In partnership with MiSST, the programme supports schools in Morecambe and Manchester by providing classical musical instruments, professional music tuition and regular performance opportunities. Over the course of three years, the PATRIZIA Foundation is funding 300 instruments, creating long-term access to cultural education and helping young people build brighter futures through the transformative power of music.

PATRIZIA Music Programme