Russian town finds support in ‘sister’ Kiwanis

Family members help one another—especially when a sister or brother is in need. That’s why the Kiwanis Club of Osnabrück, Germany, reaches out to help children in Twer, Russia: Osnabrück and Twer are partnership or “sister” cities.

Osnabrück Kiwanians sell special Christmas stollen and cookies to fund projects in sister city Twer, Russia. The Kiwanians’ focus is on Twer’s children who have disabilities.

Twer, which is about 150 kilometers from Moscow, does not have a Kiwanis club; so, like a good sibling, Osnabrück lends its Kiwanis support.

“(Through city partnership contacts) we became aware of the disastrous situation regarding the care given to handicapped children in the city of Twer,” says Osnabrück club president Otto Linnemann. “From there, we started, in 1999, the ‘Patronage for the care of handicapped children and youth in the sister city of Osnabrück, Twer/Russia,’ and from 1999 to 2007, we have raised 57,500 euros.”

The German club worked through a program that helps disabled children in Osnabrück learn life skills. That organization, “Heilpädagogische Hilfe Osnabrück,” planned to create a corresponding organization in Twer.

“We took part in the construction,” Otto says. “In 2003 and 2006, a delegate from our Kiwanis club visited Twer and verified how (the money we’d given) had been used.”

To further assist Twer’s special-needs children, the German club established fundraisers, including giving away goodie bags of Christmas cookies and slices of stollen (a bread-like fruitcake) in exchange for donations.

“We have no direct influence or contact with the children of Twer,” Otto says. “But every year, we support a plan for a project from Twer. The city presents us with possibilities, and we decide which project we will support given our financial capacity.

“This is how we will continue on with our charity and hope for more success for the handicapped children in our partner city of Twer, Russia.”