With Strong Partners at Local Level
Johanniter is among the signatories of the Charter 4 Change. This set of eight self-commitments is intended to strengthen the visibility and role of local partner organisations. For Johanniter, this includes emphasising the importance and capacities of local partners to donors and the public, and advocating for their direct support. The Charter also stipulated that 20 percent of all humanitarian programme expenditures should be passed on to partner organisations. Johanniter met this commitment in full in 2025, passing on 53 % of our funding to our partners.
Charter4Change
640 national and local organisations from 57 countries formulated the Charter4Change in 2015. In doing so, they called on their international partners to organise future cooperation according to eight new rules. 39 international organisations, including Johanniter, responded to the call. Since then, we have been working continuously on implementing the rules. You can read the entire document here.
At a Glance
Recognising Capacities and Resources
With exception of South Sudan, we implement all our projects through partner organisations. In 2024, we worked together with 54 partners in 21 countries. However, this alone is not enough for a fundamental change.
“Instead of simply transferring our own expectations and demands – and those of our institutional donors – onto others, we need to reconfigure the balance of power and levels of decision-making," says Wiebke Kessens, responsible for Strategy & Quality.
In essence, it has to be about supporting local actors, recognising their capacities and resources, and facilitating their access to international funding.
Since 2018, Johanniter has been centrally pursuing this goal for the first time with the programme "Grassroots Organizational Development - Working Towards Humanity" (GROWTH). A total of ten grassroots organisations from the Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar are part of the GROWTH program. They are being supported in their organizational development, expanding the scope of their programmes, acquiring their own funding and assuming managerial responsibility by recognizing their own philosophy and values.
Our Partnerorganisations
In 2024, we worked with a total of 54 local organizations in 21 project countries.
Women Peace Makers (WPM)
Our Partner in Cambodia
The organisation grew out of a network of committed women and young people and was registered as a national NGO in 2003. It works towards a peaceful and gender-equal society in which all people, regardless of their identity or abilities, can realise their full potential and live free from violence. WPM’s work focuses on advocating for women’s rights, conflict resolution and peace-building, as well as supporting young people.
We have had a close partnership with WPM since 2018. Through our current joint project, women, girls, men and boys are protected from gender-based violence. Community members in the provinces of Kampot, Kampong Chhnang and Tbong Khmum are being made aware of the issue through training sessions. Those affected by violence receive psychological support.