RTL – Wir helfen Kindern supports help alliance project in the Philippines

Great support for the help alliance project “Waste for Hope” in the Philippines: At this year’s meeting of the children’s aid organizations of the RTL Foundation – Wir helfen Kindern e.V. in Cologne, Andrea Pernkopf, Executive Director of help alliance, and Kerstin Krowas, Fundraising Officer, received a donation check for 1,183,462 euros from Wolfram Kohns, Vice Chairman of the Foundation.

Through the “Waste for Hope” project, help alliance supports children, youth, and families in Catbalogan, Philippines. The region is struggling with increasing plastic pollution and is simultaneously regularly affected by typhoons, floods, and earthquakes. At the heart of the project is an innovative “Bubble House” that combines education, environmental protection, and disaster preparedness. In a Learning Academy, children, young people, and adults learn how to reduce plastic waste and transform it into new products and income opportunities through upcycling. Digital educational offerings open up additional career prospects. In the event of a disaster, the solar-powered building also serves as an evacuation center and a safe haven for the community.

The 30th anniversary edition of the RTL Charity Marathon, the longest–running charity broadcast on German television, raised more than 23 million euros in November 2025. In the TV studio, project coordinator and Lufthansa flight attendant George Davantes, Andreas Mechler from Mastercard, and Eurovision Song Contest winner and project patron JJ Johannes Pietsch presented the project and called for donations. Mastercard presented a digital donation check for 200,000 euros.

For seven years, help alliance, Mastercard, and the RTL Foundation – We Help Children have maintained a strong partnership. Together, they are committed to sustainable development and better future prospects for children and young people.

Foto: RTL / Lena-Luise Grellert