Our process<\/a><\/p>\nDanwatch read all the official financial reports for UFF in Denmark for the period 2015-2019. We did not have access to previous reports, since UFF never released these to the public.<\/p>\n
Danwatch read the seventeen financial reports for European Humana organisations that were accessible either via public business registries or the organisations\u2019 own websites.<\/p>\n
There were many Humana organisations whose financial reports we could not access, because they have not been made public in the ways described above.<\/p>\n
We presented our findings from these reports to UFF-Humana in Denmark and Humana People to People.\u00a0 They would not consent to an interview, but agreed to answer questions via email.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We asked Humana People to People to show us their financial reports.\u00a0 They did not acknowledge our question, but replied instead in an email that Humana\u2019s member organisations spend over DKK 600 million on development projects annually.<\/p>\n
Endless racks of furs, jean jackets, and Converse sneakers in varying states of repair compete for customers\u2019 attention in the \u201csecond-hand cathedral,\u201d a four-storey used clothing store in the trendy Berlin neighbourhood of Friedrichshain.\u00a0 According to its owner, Humana Secondhand und Vintage, it is Europe\u2019s largest second-hand store. As you climb the spiral staircase leading to even more racks of shirts, dresses, scarves and petticoats, you can get a sense of what the money you\u2019re spending goes toward.<\/p>\n
Along the walls, one poster after another touts development projects in Africa conducted by the international aid organisation Humana People to People, founded by members of the Tvind Teachers Group: an agricultural project, a school project, the installation of solar panels, and happy, well-fed children in school uniforms eating maize porridge. Each poster is emblazoned with the round Humana People to People logo.<\/p>\n
But if you dig under the piles of worn-out t-shirts to find out what lies behind the Humana logo, you will find a web of businesses, a holding company and organisations that transfer money and used clothing back and forth across Europe, none of which sends very much cash to the projects in the Global South that they want their brand to be associated with.<\/p>\n
THE SUPPORT OF HUMANA<\/p>\n
How much does each of the national Humana organisations donate to developing countries? <\/h2>\n
Only about 13 percent of the earnings made in Europe by Humana People to People finds its way to developing countries. Most of the European organisations send less than 10 percent while Norway, Finland and Lithuania give more than the average organisation.<\/p>\n