Children's health: Lighthouse projects that give hope

Berlin. The term sounds technocratic, but in fact, it conceals great physical and psychological suffering: Last year, the "child poverty rate" in Germany rose to a new high of almost 22 percent, according to the 2024 Poverty Report of the German Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (German Welfare Association).

According to the Berlin Medical Association, one in five children in Germany is affected by poverty. Pediatricians and adolescent doctors frequently see the consequences of this poverty in their practices. According to the Berlin Medical Association, these include obesity, motor deficits, and psychological disorders.

Not least for this reason, the Professional Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) has been honoring journalistic contributions that draw attention to the concerns of young people “in an outstanding manner” since 2009.

One in five children affected by poverty

Last Friday, this year's award winners were honored – nearly 120 guests attended the awards ceremony in Berlin-Mitte. For the first time, Ärzte Zeitung accompanied the BVKJ Media Prize 2025 as a media partner.

This year, the “Lighthouse Projects” award was given to the public – “positive examples of social commitment that serve to strengthen and that can become role models,” said BVKJ President Dr. Michael Hubmann.

The jury had to review a total of 74 submitted entries and select the best from among them. This wasn't easy, as all of the submissions were outstanding, said Professor Alexander Ehlers, a general practitioner and specialist in medical law, on behalf of the other jury members.

In the "Print/Online" category, Johanna Schoener won with her article "Last Rescue Oberhausen," published in "ZEIT" on December 24, 2024. Schoener provides insights into the work of the aid organization "Friedensdorf International," operating in the Ruhr region.

Distant crises that suddenly become very close

Since 1967, the organization has been bringing severely injured children from war and crisis zones to Germany for medical care. It's a "village where distant crises of this world come very close," Schoener writes in her article.

There, you meet children who aren't even teenagers and have already experienced the "worst" in their home countries. But the village isn't a sad place; rather, it's one that offers hope.

In the category “Radio, Podcast, Social Media,” Vivien Leue was honored for her contribution “Educational Justice – Giving Children in Crisis a Chance,” which was broadcast on “Deutschlandfunk” on October 12, 2024.

With a “fine sense of nuance and a great closeness to people,” according to the jury, Leue reports from the Duisburg district of Hochfeld – a district in which 19,000 people live and which is characterized by social challenges, but also by extraordinary commitment.

The will is stronger than cancer

In the “Television” category, two contributions were awarded this year: The TV journalist Tim Ellrich for his contribution “Ivy sits in the classroom for her – cancer patient Pia can get her high school diploma thanks to robots!” , broadcast on March 12, 2024 on “RTL Hessen”.

In his report, Ellrich follows Pia, a student suffering from cancer who, with the help of an avatar robot, is able to continue attending classes despite long hospital stays. Ellrich demonstrates the tremendous power that comes from the interaction between Pia, Ivy, and the class. Pia graduates from high school with a 1.6 average grade.

“A lot of hope and happiness” – despite everything

Gesa Berg was also honored for her film "In Continuous Action Against Child Poverty" – broadcast on May 21, 2024, in the ARD series "Real Life." In it, Berg portrays social worker Tobias Lucht, who runs the children's and youth facility "Die Arche" in Hamburg-Jenfeld – a refuge for hundreds of children from difficult social backgrounds.

This project, said BVKJ spokesperson Jakob Maske, also expresses immense hope and joy – both in what are, overall, challenging times. The BVKJ Special Prize ultimately went to the "We Help" project, initiated by the "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" newspaper.

For 26 years now, the editorial team has combined "committed journalism with direct, often life-changing support for disadvantaged children and young people in the region," the jury concluded. Annually, "We Help" supports around 130 projects that otherwise receive little attention or funding. (hom)