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How do I get a donation receipt?

For donations under €300, tax offices usually accept a bank statement as proof. You also received a donation receipt with your confirmation email. You can request it again here by email. Be sure to use the same email address you used for your donation.

What is the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar?

The 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar is a unique way to support a wide range of social and environmental projects worldwide. For example, one calendar door might protect 150 m² of Amazon rainforest in Brazil, provide a meal for a child in Nepal, or partially fund a holiday trip for a child in need in Germany. Your donation amount is flexible, starting at €1. Important! You donate this amount per project, meaning per calendar door. Starting from €24, you will receive the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar as a thank you gift so you can see which specific projects you’re supporting.

How can I get or gift the calendar?

Via our donation form you can donate to the 24 projects at any time. As a thank you and to show you which aid projects you are supporting, we’ll send you the sustainable Advent calendar starting in October. Of course, you can also send the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar as a gift to family, friends, or acquaintances. We’ll include a greeting card where you can write your personal Advent message. Prefer a digital version? No problem! Starting December 1st, we’ll send you the Advent calendar as a digital version via email, including the daily door and background info on the project. Here you can order the Advent calendar.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes, your donation is tax-deductible. 24guteTaten e.V. is officially recognized as a non-profit organization by the Düsseldorf-South tax office. For donations under €300, tax offices generally accept a bank statement as proof. This is because they treat it as direct evidence of the transaction. You will receive a donation receipt by email shortly after making your donation.

Do 100 percent of the donations go to the projects?

75 percent of the donations collected through the Advent calendar go to charitable purposes, 25 percent to administration and marketing. After covering nonprofit expenses of 24guteTaten e.V., the remaining amount is evenly distributed among the 24 calendar projects.

How is it ensured that my donation arrives?

We take the monitoring of donation use very seriously. Each organization signs a contract that defines the implementation of the good deed. Additionally, aid organizations must document their project progress through detailed reports, receipts, and photos. Our organization is also committed to transparency . That’s why we report annually on our activities and disclose how we use our funds.

How can I apply with a project for a calendar door?

The projects featured in the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar are selected anew each year. Applications usually open on December 6th of the previous year. Want to be notified when the next application round opens? Then sign up here for our NGO newsletter or submit your application directly. You'll also find everything you need to know about the application process there.

How can I learn more about the projects in the Advent calendar?

You’ll find detailed background info on each of the current projects daily from December 1st to 24th on our website. All previous projects are available in our calendar archive. Also, sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

How are the projects for the Advent calendar selected?

Each year, nonprofit organizations can apply for a calendar door. The selected projects must meet strict criteria. Our goal is to support particularly sustainable, impactful, and transparent projects. You can find details about our selection process here

Who is behind the 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar?

The 24 GOOD DEEDS Advent Calendar is an initiative by the nonprofit organization 24guteTaten e.V., founded in 2011. The organization is based in Düsseldorf.

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Tag 11

45 min. school visit for a street child in Bangladesh

Learning and eating – playing and dreaming

An open-air school for a better future

Opu is a 10-year-old orphan who lives on the streets. He works with friends as a porter at the train station in the capital city of Dhaka, carrying luggage for travelers onto the trains. Late in the morning, he takes a break – the highlight of his day. During this time, he attends a "School Under the Sky," an open-air school for street children like himself. There, he learns to read and write. He's always the fastest in his class at math. After class, he gets lentils and rice to eat, something he especially looks forward to. Afterward, there's still time for a board game with his classmates. When Opu stepped on a piece of broken glass while working, the school's caretaker bandaged his teeth and gave him new flip-flops because his old ones were broken. What Opu doesn't know is that his teachers do more than just teach. They are also trying to find him a place in an orphanage and a state school so he no longer has to sleep and work on the streets. That would be a future full of security and hope for Opu.

Ricarda Hofmann on her favorite project

Need

School attendance, regular meals and a safe haven for street children in Bangladesh

Activity

Social workers from the local NGO LEEDO Street Children teach the street children, distribute lunch, and listen to the children's concerns

Measurable performance

The number of children who attend classes and receive a meal

Result

Through learning, food, and trustworthy care, the children are better able to cope with their difficult daily lives

Systemically relevant impact

Reducing social inequality and improving living conditions for disadvantaged street children

Background

Bangladesh has undergone remarkable economic development in recent decades. The proportion of people living above the poverty line has steadily increased, and significant progress has also been made in the education sector. Nevertheless, not everyone benefits equally. Street children, in particular, remain among the most disadvantaged groups. A recent study from 2024 shows that around 3.4 million children in Bangladesh live on the streets without parental care (UNICEF 2024). Many have to assume responsibility or work at a young age. These figures demonstrate the importance of projects like the School Under The Sky. The reasons why children live on the streets are manifold (CSC 2024): some are orphans, others come from troubled families where the parents are ill or very poor. Some children are sent to the cities to earn money. For them, a life without consistent care means many uncertainties and dangers – and often, access to education is lacking.

The good deed

With your good deed today, you're enabling Opu and his friends to attend School Under The Sky – a school for street children. Lessons take place on a tarpaulin on the ground, outdoors. Dedicated teachers instruct the children in reading, writing, arithmetic, and essential life skills that will empower them in their daily lives. After class, they enjoy a nutritious meal. The children also have time to play and draw. If they have worries, they can ask the social workers for advice, and if they are sick or injured, they receive medical care. For children living alone or in particularly dire need, the social workers strive to find them new homes so they can grow up in a safe and secure environment. All the children know that someone is always there for them at School Under The Sky, and they are thrilled to finally be able to attend school.

Bangladesh

Dhaka

Capital city

173.562.364

Population

As of 2024

130.170

Land area in km²

0.4 times the size of Germany

Bengali/Bangla

Official language(s)

As of 2025

Bangladesh has over 1,000 rivers, and some villages are only accessible by boat. There are even school bus boats, hospital boats, and colorful wedding boats!

About the organization and further information