And of course we immediately think of Annette Böttger
On my drive to Berlin, I hear it every 30 minutes on the radio: “Today is International Volunteer Day!” Involuntarily I think of Annette, who has been the head of the Diospi Suyana Foundation since it was founded. The mother of four is a chartered accountant and has been volunteering for Diospi Suyana since 2004. “After a short break to refuel, I have Annette on the line at 8 o’clock in the morning. “How many hours do you invest in the good cause in Peru?” I immediately realize that the woman from Franconia by choice is deep in thought. But then the truth comes out. Annette Böttger works at least 200 hours a year to support Diospi Suyana with her knowledge. After 22 years we have reached 4,400 hours. Wow!
Thursday afternoon. I skim over the incoming donations. I immediately see that the account balance has gone up enormously. But it’s not a donation, it’s a VAT refund from the tax office. Whenever our containers set sail, we can apply for a tax refund from the tax authorities for countless products. Annette is also fighting this battle with the authorities, and with great success!”
Diospi Suyana is an affair of the heart. And without people like Annette Böttger there would be no work of faith in Peru. Her husband Armin has often helped us with tricky legal issues.
The Day of Volunteering will officially end at midnight. But for Annette, Armin and many other friends of Diospi Suyana the work will of course continue seamlessly. Their commitment is an expression of their lived faith in God. They feel they have received a gift from God and give something back through their incredible commitment. It’s a good thing that, in addition to all the bad news in the media, I also hear good news. And one of them is that today is Annette’s big day. And so, on behalf of everyone, I say: “Annette, thank you and keep up the good work!” /KDJ
