Alleviate poverty

Aid in Switzerland

About 8.7% of the Swiss population lives in poverty. A single person living in poverty has to get by on less than 2,300 francs a month, while a two-parent family with two children has less than 4,000 francs to live on. Almost half a million people live on the poverty line. The 2 x Christmas campaign helps them – either directly or through various aid institutions.

Christoph Ditzler in Basel: «Poverty is invisible»

«I always thought I'd find another job. But it never happened – the job market has never had anything to offer me. Now I'm 67 and in retirement. I have to live on less than CHF 2,000 a month. The Planet 13 project has given me a new unpaid job as a project manager. Planet 13 provides people living in poverty with free access to the internet. Nowadays, the internet is an essential way to stay part of society. For example, when you're looking for a job or a new home. You can't even notice that Planet 13 guests are poor. Poverty is invisible in Switzerland.»

Watch the video (in german)

Zekia Sheik Moussa in Basel: «Sometimes there's not enough money for food»

«I'm not happy just staying at home. It's important for me to go out to work. The Red Cross sewing workshop gives me this opportunity and cheers me up. I have to get by with very little money. When I go food shopping, I always compare prices and only buy the very cheapest products. Sometimes I have to borrow money from friends to make ends meet.»

Zekia Sheik Moussa regularly goes to the Red Cross sewing workshop in Kleinhüningen. The 2 x Christmas campaign parcels make life a little easier for Zekia Sheik Moussa and her family.

Watch video (in german)

Relief abroad

Online parcel donations help people living in poverty in Armenia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are especially precious during the winter months. The Red Cross helps people who are particularly affected by the cold and living in precarious circumstances. They receive food parcels, hot meals or financial support so that they can afford to buy firewood and medicines.