SONNE – International

SONNE – International is an Austrian development aid organization established in Vienna in 2002 by Austrian physician Dr. Susanne Prügger and Erfried Malle. Its work centers on disadvantaged children, adolescents, families, and marginalized communities that have limited access to formal schooling, health services, clean water, vocational opportunities, and reliable sources of income. Rather than operating solely as a short-term relief provider, the organization presents its model as a form of locally grounded, sustainable development: projects are planned and implemented with local partners, with the stated aim of strengthening structures that communities can maintain over the long term. The organization began in Bangladesh, where its initial activities included a health-care center in a Dhaka slum, a vocational training center for adolescents, and village schools in remote areas. It subsequently expanded its work to Ethiopia, India, and Myanmar. In Bangladesh, its activities have included village and secondary schools, student hostels, educational sponsorship, and skills-training centers offering areas such as tailoring, weaving, and computer skills. Its target groups include ethnic minorities, refugees, children in remote areas, and other disadvantaged populations. In Ethiopia, SONNE – International has worked since 2005 in the Afar region in cooperation with the Afar Pastoralist Development Association. The program has addressed the circumstances of semi-nomadic pastoralist communities through mobile literacy and informal education, support for gifted pupils, basic medical care, maternal health, hygiene and anti-female-genital-mutilation awareness, and water infrastructure such as wells and storage tanks. In India, the organization took over a school initiative in Bihar in 2012. The project serves children from very poor Dalit families through free schooling, educational materials, uniforms, medical support, and activities such as self-defense training for girls. In Myanmar, SONNE began working with a local team in 2008 and helped establish the autonomous SONNE Social Organization in 2015. Its programs there have included day-care centers, a support center for marginalized children, vocational training, emergency medical assistance, daily meals, and services for ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups. Training has included tailoring, basket weaving, and computer skills. Education and training remain the organization's principal themes, but its program portfolio is broader. It includes literacy, adult education, school sponsorship, vocational preparation, income generation, microcredit and cooperative development, health care, water and sanitation, disaster response, women's advancement, hygiene education, democratic awareness, and counseling. The organization has reported that its projects have supported access to basic medical care for approximately 150,000 people and, around 2021, were providing ongoing education or training to approximately 3,000 students through schools, hostels, day-care centers, and skills-training facilities. SONNE – International is funded through private donations, memberships, sponsorships, corporate cooperation, foundations, public and governmental donors, and other institutional support. It has regularly received the Austrian seal of approval for charities since 2006, while donations to the organization have been tax-deductible in Austria and Germany since 2009. Its public profile has also been associated with awards recognizing its founders and partnerships, including honors connected with humanitarian engagement and an education project in Ethiopia. The organization remains an active Austrian nongovernmental development organization with projects delivered through local and international cooperation.

SONNE – International was founded in Vienna in 2002 by Austrian physician Dr. Susanne Prügger and Erfried Malle. The founders initially sought to respond to severe poverty in the slums of Bangladesh while building forms of assistance that could develop into durable local services. The organization's first project was a health-care center in a Dhaka slum. In 2003 it added a vocational training center for adolescents, and in 2004 it supported the construction of ten village schools in remote parts of Bangladesh. Bangladesh became the organization's principal early operating base. Over time, SONNE developed a network of village schools and secondary schools for children in remote locations, particularly those from ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged groups. It also established student hostels in Dhaka, Alikadam, and Jhenaigati, enabling children and young people from areas without adequate educational facilities to continue their studies. Educational sponsorship has supported talented students seeking further education, while training centers have provided marginalized adolescents, especially girls, with practical skills in tailoring, weaving, and computer use. Since 2009, the organization's Bangladesh branch has been registered as an international NGO under the name SONNE-International Austria-Bangladesh Branch. The organization expanded to Ethiopia in 2005 through cooperation with the Afar Pastoralist Development Association. Its work in the Afar region has been designed for semi-nomadic pastoralist communities and has combined mobile literacy, informal schooling, support for gifted pupils, basic medical services, maternal-health assistance, water infrastructure, hygiene education, and awareness work related to female genital mutilation. Projects have operated in several districts of the Afar region, including Gawaani, Gelaalu, Uwwa, Awra, and Chifra. SONNE's Indian work originated with a school project initiated in Bihar in 1999 by Austrian doctor Fridolin Stögermayer in cooperation with the Buddha Educational Foundation Society. The project was formally transferred to SONNE – International in 2012 and subsequently expanded to three schools. These schools provide free education to children from impoverished Dalit families, along with books, uniforms, and medical assistance where needed. The program has also used sport, including self-defense and karate classes for girls, as a means of improving confidence and personal safety. In Myanmar, SONNE began project work with a local team in 2008. The program was formalized in 2015 through SONNE Social Organization, an autonomous local NGO. Its Myanmar activities have focused on marginalized children and adolescents, ethnic minorities, and other underserved groups in and around Yangon. They have included three day-care centers, a support center established in 2019, free meals, medical support, educational assistance, and vocational training in tailoring, basket weaving, and computer skills. An emergency medical fund has helped participating children and adolescents obtain basic care. Across its countries of operation, SONNE has developed an integrated approach rather than treating education, health, water, and livelihoods as separate concerns. Its programs have included literacy and adult education, vocational preparation, income-generation support, cooperative development, microcredit, water and sanitation, disaster relief, women's advancement, health and hygiene awareness, democratic education, and counseling. The organization works with local partners and communities to strengthen local structures and improve the prospect that services will continue beyond individual projects. Institutionally, SONNE has maintained an Austrian base and finances its work through individual donations, memberships, sponsorships, corporate and foundation partnerships, public and governmental funding, and other institutional sources. It has regularly received the Austrian charity seal since 2006, and donations have been tax-deductible in Austria and Germany since 2009. Recognition has included the 2010 Woman Award for Susanne Prügger, the selection of Erfried Malle as Austrian of the Year in 2011 for humanitarian engagement, and a 2018 Wirtschaft hilft! award for an education partnership in Ethiopia. Around 2021, the organization reported operating 23 schools, three student hostels, four day-care centers, and several skills-training centers, with approximately 3,000 students receiving ongoing education or training and roughly 150,000 people gaining access to basic medical care through its projects.

• 2019

  Support center for marginalized children opens in Myanmar

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  SONNE adds a center providing meals, medical assistance, care, and training for marginalized children.

• 2015

  SONNE Social Organization is established in Myanmar

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The Myanmar program is formalized as an autonomous local NGO.

• 2012

  Bihar school project is transferred to SONNE

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  SONNE formally takes over the Indian school initiative originally launched by Fridolin Stögermayer and the Buddha Educational Foundation Society.

• 2009

  Bangladesh branch registration and tax-deductible donations

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The Bangladesh operation is registered as an international NGO, while donations to SONNE become tax-deductible in Austria and Germany.

• 2008

  Local project work begins in Myanmar

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  SONNE starts implementing education, training, and health-related projects in Myanmar.

• 2006

  Austrian charity certification is obtained

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  SONNE begins regularly receiving the Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel.

• 2005

  Projects begin in Ethiopia

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  SONNE starts working in the Afar region with the Afar Pastoralist Development Association.

• 2004

  Village-school construction expands in Bangladesh

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  SONNE supports the establishment of ten village schools in remote areas of Bangladesh.

• 2003

  Vocational training begins in Dhaka

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  The organization opens a job-training center for adolescents in Dhaka.

• 2002

  SONNE – International is founded in Vienna

  [1]SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. Susanne Prügger and Erfried Malle establish the Austrian development organization with an initial focus on disadvantaged communities in Bangladesh.

A locally partnered development organization combining education and vocational training with health care, water access, women's advancement, and income-generation programs for disadvantaged communities.

• Education · 2002

  Education and literacy programs

  SONNE operates or supports village schools, secondary schools, informal schooling, mobile literacy programs, adult education, educational counseling, student sponsorship, and hostels. These services are designed for children and young people who face geographic, economic, ethnic, or social barriers to formal education.

• Workforce development · 2003

  Vocational and skills training

  Training centers provide practical preparation for disadvantaged adolescents and young adults. Reported subjects include tailoring, weaving, basket weaving, computer skills, basic economics, selling, and bookkeeping. The programs are intended to improve employability and create routes toward self-reliant income.

• Health care · 2002

  Health and emergency medical services

  The organization's health work includes medical emergency clinics, mobile medical teams, basic medical care, maternal-health support, medical funds, and health and hygiene education. These services are integrated into education and community programs, particularly where public health access is limited.

• Community development · 2005

  Water, sanitation, and rural development

  Projects address clean water and basic infrastructure through well construction, water-storage tanks, sanitation activities, and related rural-development work. In Ethiopia, these measures have been linked to the needs of semi-nomadic pastoralist communities.

• Livelihoods

  Income generation and women's advancement

  SONNE supports skills acquisition, income-generation activities, cooperatives, microcredit, and initiatives intended to expand women's opportunities. Awareness work also addresses hygiene, health, democratic participation, and harmful practices including female genital mutilation.

• 2018Ethiopia education partnership with MEDIACOM

  Ethiopia · Austria

  SONNE and Austrian communications agency MEDIACOM collaborated on an education project in Ethiopia as an example of enterprise–NGO cooperation.

  Outcome. The partnership won first prize in the small and medium-sized enterprise category of the Wirtschaft hilft! awards.

  Source

• 2015

  Creation of an autonomous Myanmar NGOStrategy

  Background

  SONNE had been implementing projects in Myanmar with a local team since 2008.

  Action taken

  The organization established SONNE Social Organization as an autonomous local nongovernmental organization.

  Aftermath

  The Myanmar program continued to develop education, day-care, medical, and vocational services for marginalized groups.

  Source

• 2012

  Formal integration of the Bihar school projectStrategy

  Background

  A school initiative in Bihar had been started in 1999 by Fridolin Stögermayer with the Buddha Educational Foundation Society.

  Action taken

  SONNE – International formally took over the project and expanded it into a broader education program serving children from poor Dalit families.

  Aftermath

  The program grew to three schools and added free educational materials, medical support, and activities including self-defense training for girls.

  Source

1. 1SONNE – Internationalen.wikipedia.org
2. 2SONNE – International official websitesonne-international.org