PATRIZIA Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary

Jan. 2025

Wolfgang Egger vor der Gründung PATRIZIA Foundation im Jahr 1999

On 22 December 1999, Wolfgang Egger created the PATRIZIA KinderHaus Foundation with a bold vision: to provide children worldwide with access to education, healthcare, and a safe home. Before that, he had already demonstrated his deep commitment to social causes – as one of the first supporters of Bunter Kreis e.V., which provides aftercare for seriously ill children in Germany, as well as for organisations in Tanzania. His first trip to Africa, motivated by a desire to witness the impact of his contributions firsthand, became a transformative experience: in order to provide even more effective help, he set up the PATRIZIA KinderHaus Foundation – with the aim of bringing about long-term and sustainable change for generations, with responsible local project partners and a commitment to always support each facility for 25 years.

child in hospital Tansania, Kenia
Children in school in Alotenango

The first project brought the Foundation back to Peramiho: in 2002, the PATRIZIA Children’s Hospital was inaugurated. This initiative has become a regional success story, significantly improving healthcare in the area. In 2023 alone, the hospital treated 31,427 children as outpatients and 6,033 as inpatients.

One of its success stories is Christian, who was born weighing only 1,200 grams. Thanks to the exceptional neonatal care at the PATRIZIA Children’s Hospital, Christian is thriving today. His sister Hilda expressed her gratitude, writing: “I want to thank the Foundation for building the children’s hospital, where my little brother’s life was saved.”

To date, the PATRIZIA Foundation has positively impacted the lives of 800,000* children and young adults worldwide through 25 KinderHaus facilities across 15 countries and five continents, offering them the chance for quality education and a self-determined life.

We continue this journey together, with our goal to reach one million children by 2030 steadily within reach. With your continued support, this vision will become a reality.

*The figure includes all children supported each year – individual children may be counted more than once if they have participated in our projects over multiple years. This way, the indicator reflects both the reach and the duration of our support.

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Milestones of the PATRIZIA Foundation:

  • 1984: Wolfgang Egger founds PATRIZIA, regularly supporting social causes, including The Bunter Kreis e.V. (Colourful Circle) which provides aftercare for children in Germany with severe illnesses. The Bunter Kreis’s work ends up inspiring change in the German healthcare system
  • 1999: The PATRIZIA KinderHaus-Stiftung (PATRIZIA Children’s Foundation) is founded by Wolfgang Egger
  • 2002: First project: PATRIZIA Children’s Hospital Peramiho, Tanzania
  • 2008: First dormitory: PATRIZIA Vocational Training Centre Ntarama, Rwanda
  • 2010: First school: PATRIZIA School Buyamba, Uganda
  • 2018: Opening of PATRIZIA Vocational Training Center Alego, Kenya, with Dr Auma Obama – the founder of partner organisation, Sauti Kuu Foundation – and her brother Barack Obama – the 44th President of the United States
  • 2019: FIFA World Cup winner Mario Götze and his wife Ann-Kathrin become Ambassadors of the Foundation
  • 2020: Corona Fund Education Healthcare is launched to support the KinderHaus projects during times of crisis
  • 2021: First hiking challenge launched by PATRIZIA employees to support KinderHaus projects
  • 2021: Start of the long-term initiative ‘Ready for the Future’ to ensure access to digital educational opportunities
  • 2021: The PATRIZIA impact model is developed with the NPO Competence Centre of the Vienna University of Economics and Business
  • 2022: An ex-post evaluation confirms the long-term impact of the KinderHaus projects in Songea and Peramiho, Tanzania
  • 2022: The EduCare Europe Fund is set up to help traumatised children from Ukraine who had become refugees after the invasion into the country by Russia
  • 2024: Successful completion of the 5-year partner programme with the PATRIZIA Vocational Training Centre, Rwanda, transforming it into a sustainable and solar-powered school
  • 2024: Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber become global Ambassadors
  • 2024: The PATRIZIA Foundation expands its global impact with the launch of the PATRIZIA Foundation UK and its first UK-based cooperation with MiSST (Music in Secondary Schools Trust)
  • Lighthouse project from 2025: New Vocational Training Centre Bumthang, Bhutan – as trusted partner of the Queen Mother of Bhutan

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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