“There is no first, second or third world. We all live on one and the same planet, for which we bear joint responsibility.”
Karlheinz Böhm (1928-2014)
Menschen für Menschen was brought into being by Karlheinz Böhm. The actor, who became famous in the 1950s through his role as Emperor Franz Joseph at the side of Romy Schneider in the film trilogy ‘Sissi’, delivered brilliant performances in the films of famous directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and on major German-language stages. Profoundly shocked by reports of the catastrophic famine in the Sahel Zone, in 1981 Karlheinz Böhm took advantage of his popularity to help. His legendary wager in the ZDF show “Wetten, dass…?” raised DM 1.2 million for people in Africa. He bet that “not every third viewer would donate one Mark, one Swiss franc or seven Austrian schillings for needy people in the Sahel zone”.
Karlheinz Böhm visited the people in their new tukuls in the Erer Valley.
In October 1981 Böhm flew to Ethiopia for the first time. Not far from Babile in eastern Ethiopia he met about 1,500 semi-nomads who were leading a miserable existence in a hunger camp without prospects for a better future. He founded the organization Menschen für Menschen on 13 November 1981.
“Anger is the main motivation for my work – anger about the injustice between rich and poor.”
Karlheinz Böhm
Meeting at eye level: Karlheinz Böhm talks to farmers
Two years later the farmers were relocated to the Erer Valley, 30 kilometres away. The hunger camp at Babile was closed for ever.
With the aid for the people of the Erer Valley, Karlheinz Böhm laid the foundation stone for his aid for self-development. For many years he was accompanied by his wife Almaz Böhm, whom he got to know and love in 1987. He met the people at eye level. His main concern was to work together with them in Ethiopia on improving their life situation. They should develop themselves, so that in the long term they will be able to live without outside help. The Foundation still operates according to this principle today.
37 years later over five million people are benefitting from long-term projects aimed at enabling farmers to become more productive and promote the development of huge regions. In twelve project regions, on an area of about 57,000 km², Menschen für Menschen is currently working together with the population on the improvement of living conditions. Nine areas have already been handed over to the responsibility of the population. One of Karlheinz Böhm’s wishes has been fulfilled in part: “One day not to be needed any more.”
Karlheinz Böhm managed the organization until 2011. He died on 29 May 2014 at the age of 86.
Click through our picture gallery and take a few minutes to review the milestones in the eventful life of Karlheinz Böhm.
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