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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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Day 2

1 year of clean drinking water for a schoolchild in Tanzania

Sparkling future

Repairing water pumps – improving educational opportunities

Neema (28) lives in a village in Kilombero and has been working as a mechanic since completing her training last year. As part of the Pump for Life (P4L) network, she is responsible for a total of 15 water pumps in her area. The network ensures that all water sources are regularly checked, spare parts are readily available, and any defects are repaired within a maximum of 24 hours.
Neema explains: “Before this project, I never imagined becoming a mechanic – people said it was only for men. But now I’m responsible for the water pumps, and I know my work helps families get clean water every day. I’m proud of that, and people greet me with respect when I ride my blue moped to the monthly checks or repairs.” Through the training in the P4L network, Neema has not only learned how to keep the water supply flowing, but she has also gained a new role and voice in her community.

Hans Sarpei will tell you more about his favorite project.

Need

Long-term water supply for schoolchildren in the Kilombero Valley

Activity

The local NGO MSABI repairs broken water access points, ensures their long-term functionality, and trains mechanics.

Measurable performance

Number of children who can experience their entire school career with access to clean water

Result

Educational opportunities in the Kilombero Valley are improving due to more teaching time and fewer illnesses.

Systemically relevant impact

Better future prospects for children and young people, as well as a significantly improved state of health for schoolchildren and their families.

Background

There have been and continue to be numerous projects aimed at improving access to water – both from governments and international organizations. Just recently, MrBeast, one of the world's most famous YouTubers, had 100 wells drilled in Africa, generating significant media attention. The problem: no one knows how to maintain and repair them afterward (Burri 2023). A lack of repair plans and the effects of climate change have led to approximately 29% of all water points built in Tanzania between 2015 and 2020 no longer functioning. In rural areas, the percentage is even higher (BMWi 2021).
Water scarcity in Tanzania affects all aspects of life. Not having enough to drink or being unable to wash is life-threatening, especially for children. They sit for hours in school without drinking water or being able to wash their hands after using the toilet. Often, the only solution is for someone to walk to the nearest water source and laboriously carry the water back, even though there is a well right in the schoolyard. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to concentrate in class. Poor water supply thus directly impacts children's educational opportunities and, consequently, their entire lives (Gadanayak & Debert 2022).

The good deed

Today's good deed will ensure that broken wells are repaired, function reliably in the long term, and allow children to spend their school years with access to clean water. Instead of building new wells, existing dry water sources will be made usable again – cost-effectively, resource-efficiently, and sustainably.
To begin, around 50 schools in the Kilombero Valley in southern Tanzania will be inspected. Since not all water pumps are suitable for repair, approximately 30 will be repaired and subsequently integrated into the P4L network. For a small monthly fee (around €3.50), operation is ensured through regular checks and a hotline for reporting malfunctions. Water flows again within 24 hours, thanks to the mechanics who travel on blue mopeds. As part of this good deed, five new specialists, at least three of them women like Neema, will be trained. Furthermore, the mechanics will receive ongoing training to ensure they can continue repairing the pumps in the future. A small celebration follows each repair, because this good deed brings back the water.

Tanzania

Dodoma

Capital city

68.560.157

Population

As of 2024

885.800

Land area in km²

2.5 times the size of Germany

Swahili
English

Official language(s)

As of 2025

Lake Natron is so salty that its water sometimes shimmers bright red or pink. Millions of flamingos see this as an invitation to breed. For most other animals, however, the water is toxic.

About the organization and further information