This is the activity report we have received from the German association AWS Aniridie Wagr e.V. related to the period June-December 2021
The team of AWS Aniridie Wagr e.V. has expanded in the middle of the year 2021, as the association has also grown strongly. Our members currently amount to 140 people from all over the German speaking countries. The association was restructured and divided into working groups.
The AWS Aniridie Wagr e.V. held for the first time a live stream via Youtube, where the new team of the AWS introduced itself and presented the goals of the association. In addition, the medical advisor of AWS Prof. Dr. Barbara Käsmann Kellner gave a presentation about what to do and what not to do when you are affected by aniridia. Users were able to ask live questions to Prof. Käsmann Kellner, all of which she answered. The topic of inclusion was also addressed in the live stream. Nice and lively videos of children were shown, to explain aniridia in a child-friendly way. The stream was very successful and new members signed up as a result. Here the link: https://youtu.be/Y8qJ9_esByk
The AWS team meets regularly every 2 weeks in online meetings to implement the goals they have set for themselves. It is currently working on a handbook for affected persons, which is to be completed in mid-2022. Likewise, the basic framework for a children’s book has been created, which is still to be professionally illustrated.
In November we started the planning for a large meeting of members in the summer of 2022 in Bavaria.
A very big success was the establishment of a group for our members in the Signal platform, in which they can exchange undisturbed their concerns and ask questions to the professionals belonging to the group. This is used very actively and it is an enrichment for all.
In the last six months, various fundraising campaigns have also taken place, in which the association has collected around 4,000.00 euros.
All in all, it was a very successful 2nd half of 2021 for us.
Best regards to all our foreign colleagues and all the best for the new year 2022.
President of AWS Aniridie Wagr e.V. Germany
Denice Toews-Hennig