Amidst live concerts, children dancing, discovery tours of the children’s village and the bungee trampoline, there was one person at the summer festival on 22 August who was hard to miss: Papa Moll. Around 2,000 guests celebrated with him, alongside Andrew Bond, the Goofechörli Gonten and YESHE, in a late-summer atmosphere. He brought along his new book, *Papa Moll in the Children’s Village*, which was written to mark the foundation’s 80th anniversary.
Away from the stage, a bungee trampoline, face painting, a sandpit and an interactive discovery tour provided plenty of variety. Guests gained an insight into the foundation’s educational work and explored children’s rights in a playful way. On a ‘hidden object’ picture, they searched for factors that make learning difficult for children – such as child labour or overcrowded classrooms. Inside the school building, scenes depicting various children’s rights were painted with great dedication onto large display boards. This brought into sharp focus what the foundation is committed to in Switzerland and around the world: a good education and ensuring that children know their rights and are able to exercise them.
Andrew Bond, YESHE and the Goofechörli Gonten will be providing the entertainment on stage. There are also plenty of other attractions on offer: in the huge sandpit, children can build amazing creations, soar high on the bungee trampoline or explore the children’s village on a fun discovery tour. The programme also includes face painting, hands-on activities and fascinating insights into the foundation’s history and educational work.
Whether at the concerts by Andrew Bond, YESHE and the Goofechörli Gonten, listening to the puppeteer’s stories, on the bungee trampoline, at the face-painting sessions or on the discovery tours through the children’s village; the summer festival once again demonstrated what the Pestalozzi Children’s Village has stood for over the past 80 years: connection, diversity and education. With around 2,000 guests, many personal encounters and a varied programme, the anniversary summer festival will be fondly remembered.
