You’ve ordered Advent calendars or greeting cards that haven’t arrived yet? Please enter the email address used for the order. You’ll receive an email with information on whether and when your order was shipped.

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.

Previous day

Next day

Tag 22

An ultrasound examination for a pregnant woman in Senegal

Hope in every heartbeat

Ultrasound: A glimpse into a safe future

Kardiata, feeling both concern and joy, gently strokes her belly as she prepares food for her family. In a few months, she will have her first child and hopes for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. Until now, there has been no medical facility in her village, only a delivery room with one bed. The nearest health center is far away. Monitoring her pregnancy was based on the experience of midwives, not on modern equipment. But today, with an ultrasound machine, the midwife can hear the baby's heartbeat, check its position, and identify potential risks in just four minutes. For Kardiata and other women giving birth in the region, this is a new moment: they hear the heartbeat, a sign that everything is fine. These few minutes of examination can prevent complications. Many women in Mbiddi also need this moment – because sometimes four minutes is enough to protect lives and give hope.

Simone Standl erzählt Dir von ihrem Lieblingsprojekt

Need

Better healthcare for pregnant women in Mbiddi to identify and treat risks to mothers and their babies at an early stage

Activity

An ultrasound machine is provided and healthcare personnel are trained to improve the education and care of pregnant women

Measurable performance

Number of pregnant women who receive ultrasound screening as part of their prenatal care

Result

Compared to the initial situation, the number of preventive medical check-ups completed in Mbiddi is expected to increase by 30%

Systemically relevant impact

Long-term reduction in maternal and infant mortality in Mbiddi and the surrounding area; improved health of women and children in the region

Background

In Senegal, good prenatal care is crucial for the health of mothers and babies. This makes it all the more important that more and more women receive good support during pregnancy: in 2023, 68% of pregnant women were able to attend at least four prenatal checkups—a significant improvement compared to 47% ten years earlier (ANSD 2023). This shows that the Senegalese government's efforts to improve care for mothers are already bearing fruit (PNDSS 2019). However, not everyone is benefiting equally from these improvements. In the municipality of Mbiddi in northern Senegal, women are often solely responsible for their families, households, and livelihoods due to male migration. In addition, the distances to clinics in rural areas are often long and expensive, and local health centers lack staff and technical equipment, which makes preventive care for pregnant women difficult. Thanks to new portable ultrasound devices, midwives can now comprehensively check the health of babies in this region as well. Access to good prenatal care is particularly important in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of all cases of maternal and infant mortality occur (WHO 2025). This is why projects such as the use of mobile ultrasound devices are so valuable: they help to identify risks early on and give mothers and babies a better start in life.

The good deed

Your donation makes it possible: An ultrasound machine will be purchased for the Mbiddi health center and midwives will be trained. This will enable more women to receive preventive care—more safely, earlier, and at a lower cost. Regular use of ultrasound allows health risks for mother and child to be detected and treated at an early stage. In addition, a waiting room is being built and the knowledge of health workers and volunteers is being strengthened to promote awareness of preventive care. This project improves access to healthcare, increases the number of examinations, and reduces care costs through early prevention and more efficient examinations.

Senegal

Dakar

Capital city

18.501.984

Population

As of 2024

192.530

Land area in km²

0.6 times the size of Germany

French

Official language(s)

As of 2025

“So debbo selli, rendo go selli.” – “When the woman is healthy, the household is healthy.” This Senegalese Wolof proverb illustrates the role of women as the backbone of the family – and shows that their well-being is a top priority for the community.

About the organization and further information