Barbara
Karoline Hofmann
was born on 8 March 1962 in Affoltern (Zurich), and
studied Business and Finance in Switzerland. After
7 years' working in banking and multinational businesses,
in 1989, by "chance", she found herself
in Beira, Mozambique and after having seen the reality
of that country, decided to devote her life to the
children of Mozambique. These are the steps that made
her known and respected in the world of international
relief organizations.
Timeline
In
1990 Barbara developed a project to set up a ChildrenÂ’s
Centre in Beira (Mozambique). Barbara
composed and wrote its Charter. She then negotiated
the necessary permits towards the growth of her project
with the local Ministers (Ministry for Co-operation,
Social Development, Education and Health.) She also
negotiated with the local authorities the concession
of the necessary ground sites and structures to build
a Centre for all children orphaned and abandoned due
to the war.
In
1991 Barbara founded ASEM Swiss, a not-for-profit
charity. She organized the structure in Beira and
found the support to get recognized at an international
level.
In
1992 she continues to increase her projects
which she organizes and administrates personally.
In
1995 she
founds and organizes ASEM Portugal and ASEM New York.
In
1999 she
founds and organizes ASEM Mozambique and co-creates
the foundation of ASEM Italy Onlus.
In January 2001 Barbara
contracted the worse kind of cerebral malaria. She
spent one month in a coma in a hospital in Johannesburg.
She lived on dialysis, respirators and several antibiotic
transfusions. She survived, but malaria left her lungs,
liver and kidneys damaged We are happy to share, 5
years later, her recuperation was complete.
In all these years
Barbara has always worked for her projects and for
ASEM, all dedicated to the children of Mozambique.
She expanded ASEM's reach, gradually increasing the
number of children. In 2005
over 300 children are living at the two Centers of
Manga and Macurungo in Beira and over 1600 study at
ASEM's two schools free of charge, which give access
to the most poor children of the neighborhood. The
Gorongoza Centre was started in 2005 to house 250 children,
orphans of parents who died by AIDS.
At the end of 2007,
the construction of the Gorongoza Centre was finished.
ASEM, up until 2007 has helped more than 10,000 children;
at the Centers, with schooling, vocational training,
health care, and psychological support, etc.
More than 700 children have been assisted in rejoining
their families and getting reintegrated into their community.
ASEM appointed and
trained its 100% Mozambican staff (125 workers - as
of 2007), with the single exception of Barbara Hofmann
(founder). Some former boys hosted at the Centers
have grown and returned with training to become an
active part of the organization, to give the same
opportunities they received to other children in need
Currently, Barbara
is:
- Fundraising
- Operating Public
Relations
- Supervising the
financial management and general development of
all ASEM's operations.
- Initiating various
micro-economic structures in Mozambique to assure
ASEM's future economic self-sufficiency.
ASEM's Founder-President Barbara Hofmann received,
for her efforts and dedication since 1989 in favor
of the Mozambican Childhood, the following recognitions,
among others:
- " The "Chevalier
de l'Ordre National de Mérite"
from the French President Jacques Chirac, 1997
- The "Aeschenkollegium"
in Basel, Switzerland in 1997
- The "SCUDO
d'ARGENTO" from the "Istituto
Scudi di San Martino" in 2000
- The "Mimosa
de Oro" from the Blue Drop Group
in Palermo, Italy in 2002
- "The
Lady of the Year" by the Regional
Government of Val d'Aosta, Italy in 2002
- The "Ambassador
for Peace" by the International
Centre for Peace between Nations of Assisi, Italy
in 2003
- The "Rose
of Sympathy" by the City Council
of Rome, Italy in 2003
- An Honorary Citizenship
by Mayor of Limena, Italy, 2003
- An Honorary Citizenship
by Mayor of San Giorgio in Bosco, Italy, in December
2003
- "First prize
of the City of Ostia" - Ostia, Italy in June 2007 for her
book "um dia sera poesia"
