PBF – a flourishing field. Memories of the beginnings by co-founder Michele Pedrocchi
30 years of the Peter Bachmann Social Work Foundation – a milestone of humanity
I actually wanted to go through texts from the foundation’s early days to refresh my memories. But I only saved them on floppy disks and who can read them anymore? So much time has passed since the foundation’s beginnings, and a lot has changed and developed in that time. The 30 years of PBF that we are celebrating this year are actually quite a lot.
Learning and developing
The foundation’s early days were characterized by a lot of idealism. There were important cornerstones: the impressions and acquaintances made on Peter’s travels in the target countries; the need to help people without a voice; the concept of helping people to help themselves and mutual support in the community; and Peter’s network in Switzerland, which was able to be activated as a donor community.
Nevertheless, we were not professionals in development projects and most of us brought experience from other contexts, either through the foundation board or as volunteers.
The foundation’s stability and track record over the years proved the concept was right. And they are the result of the ability of all those involved to learn and adapt.
By chance – or not?
Due to Peter’s often chance personal acquaintances, specific, individual stories were repeatedly recorded, expanded and condensed into a mutually supportive community. If you look at the individual case, this chance may raise doubts: one might have wished for a more systematic approach. However, when viewed across the projects as a whole, a great deal of consistency and consequence emerged. In addition, the foundation developed a refreshingly personal style precisely by allowing individual fates to serve as a crystallization point.
Success and gratitude
The foundation’s success can be described using various elements: Thanks to the network that Peter very actively cultivated, visibility in Switzerland and thus the flow of donations was maintained – in fact, it grew beyond all expectations in the early years. The donors were also able to see time and again that their funds were being used sensibly. Numerous successfully completed projects and the long-term, measurable and visible improvements on site are testament to the effectiveness of the foundation’s work. Of course, the heartfelt gratitude and joy that Peter and the foundation were able to receive from the recipients again and again was particularly motivating.
A community effort
One of the things that sets the foundation apart is that it incurs very low administration costs. This was only possible because over the years Peter and many other people in Switzerland and in the recipient countries have volunteered their time. There was plenty of organizational, administrative and conceptual work to be done. It was also a pleasure for me to be able to help found the foundation and to accompany it for a long time on the first board of trustees. At the beginning, I certainly wasn’t aware of how the scope of the foundation and the breadth of support would develop.
Peter can be very proud of this blossoming field, and everyone who has sown even a single flower seed should be proud of him. On behalf of the Foundation, I would also like to thank all those whose names do not appear anywhere and who have nevertheless contributed greatly to its success.
Looking to the future
As we celebrate this important anniversary, the Foundation faces new challenges in a changing world. With the desire to continue the Foundation’s legacy and values, I hope that many committed people will continue to support the work in the years to come. The Foundation’s goal remains to continue to make positive changes through the power of community. Every contribution counts and every life touched is a testament to the shared commitment. Thank you to everyone who has made this journey possible.
With kind regards,
Michele Pedrocch