Werner Holzer School
Our founder Waris Dirie met the German top manager Philip Holzer on the occasion of a lecture to business leaders in Berlin. He was so enthusiastic about the work of the Desert Flower Foundation that he spontaneously financed the construction of a school in Sierra Leone. His wish: the school should bear the name of his father Werner.
Werner Holzer (†2016) was editor-in-chief of the Frankfurter Rundschau and one of Germany's most distinguished journalists. And he was one of the great Africa experts. The continent and its people were particularly close to his heart. The Werner Holzer School in Allentown, which now has 600 children, is a memorial to him.
"Naming the school gave me and my family a unique opportunity to honour my father's achievements as an expert on Africa. I am sure that he would have readily supported the project", says Philip Holzer.
The Werner Holzer School had a lasting positive impact on life in the entire community immediately after it opened. Project manager Michael Bangura is happy to confirm this: "We are very grateful to the Holzer family! Through the school project and the educational work, people have accepted that the Desert Flower Foundation is fighting against the widespread ritual of female genital mutilation and, in return, is supporting girls in their education."
The Werner Holzer School was built in 2020 and expanded in 2024 due to the large influx of new pupils.
Education instead of mutilation - that's the deal!