Our Vision:
Our vision is a world without hardship in which all people can live self-determinedly and with dignity. Access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation as well as a good education are an important foundation for this.
Our Mission:
We support people in attaining the knowledge, skills and means necessary to bring this vision to fruition.
We enable sufficient and safe water supply, sanitation facilities and context-appropriate hygiene measures (WASH) and improve the living conditions in regions affected by natural disasters, crises and poverty. In doing this, we provide emergency- as well as transitional aid and engage in long-term development cooperation.
We promote good education in Germany and abroad, in order to enable people to take on responsibility for themselves and their environment. The focus of our educational work in Germany is on Global Education and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In our projects abroad, we predominantly support the education of children and young people – usually in connection with the sup-ply of water and sanitation in schools.
Self-image:
arche noVa is a humanitarian organization from Dresden, that has been supporting people in need for over two decades, performed long-term development cooperation and implemented education programs. Founded in 1992 by Sven Seifert and a group of dedicated people that organized a transport of humanitarian aid to Iraqi Kurdistan, today arche noVa focuses mainly on WASH projects, which combine the three components of water, sanitation and hygiene in various contexts. Over 844 million people worldwide lack a safe water supply, and nearly a third of the world’s population lives without adequate sanitary facilities with significant danger for their health and development.
We are committed to ensure that all people receive access to safe and clean drinking water as well as basic sanitation. This has been a recognized Human Right since 2010. Often, we combine WASH with other thematic areas, such as education or livelihoods. For the supported people this means better health, greater food security, new sources of income and the perspective of a self-determined life. arche noVa is mainly active in rural areas, where the access to water and sanitary facilities is especially problematic. Together with local partner organizations and local communities we work in accordance with the principle of helping people to help themselves. Together we develop custom solutions and rely mainly on local building materials as well as appropriate technologies that are easy to maintain. Together with the communities, we create structures of self-determinate administration and thereby strengthen civil society. With accompanying measures for social and economic development of the population, arche noVa contributes to global poverty alleviation.
Humanitarian catastrophes are on the rise worldwide, and their effects are devastating. By treating and distributing safe drinking water and aid supplies, as well as carrying out rehabilitation work while respecting Humanitarian Principles, we assist people in situations of drought, floods, earthquakes or military conflict. With a high degree of commitment and a flexible approach that is adapted to the context, we implement our projects efficiently and transparently and thereby strengthen the resilience of the local population against recurring or ongoing crises.
Apart from basic education and hygiene promotion in the project countries, arche noVa’s education programs include mainly Global Learning and Education for Sustainable Development (BNE). With BNE we intend to encourage people to think and act sustainably in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context it is necessary to consider how one’s own decisions influence the people of future generations and which effect they may have in other parts of the world, in order to think concretely about how the future could be shaped fairly and sustainably for all.
With Global Learning we address the issue of interactions between countries of the Global North and the Global South. We focus on portraying the various causes of global injustice as well as enforcing the social, economic and political human rights worldwide. The topic of water is an intrinsic part of our education messaging, although it is complemented by other topics.
Our educational program in Germany and abroad is tailored to its target groups and has a participative approach. We place great importance on ensuring that our materials, methods and objectives are up-to-date and we are guided by the realities in the daily lives of our participants.
We consider ourselves part of a worldwide network of civil-society actors. That is why arche noVa actively supports the qualitative development in the fields of WASH and Global Learning/BNE by imparting accreditations and taking an active role in networking.
As an organization, congenial cooperation is very important to us. We consider ourselves a team with a variety of skills that works together to reach common goals. Everyone’s ideas are welcomed and there is room for creativity and individuality. Staff members at HQ and in the satellite offices interact in a respectful manner and at eye-level. The security of our staff is our first priority. Inclusion and diversity are of great concern.
We value transparency, especially in financial matters. Since 1993, arche noVa continuously carries the DZI seal of approval. Annual reports are publicly available here.
