When the Shelter Foundation was first established in 2001, it was largely in reaction to a very dark side of the war in the Balkans. The trafficking of women was flourishing, and it was during this time that Andrea Böhm’s alarming article “Punters for Peace” appeared in Die Zeit. Her report laid bare a grotesque irony. The “humanitarian helpers” and international peacekeepers on the scene were the very individuals who ensured, by virtue of their interest and financial means, that a lucrative business thrived for traffickers forcing women into prostitution.

It was thus that the Shelter Foundation’s earliest engagement was concentrated on projects in the Balkan region. In cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) but also in cooperation with local initiatives, it was possible to fund places of refuge and shelter and provide emergency assistance.

Over time, the Foundation’s focus has broadened to include regions farther afield. Along with extending immediate assistance to women who had freed themselves from forced prostitution, emphasis has also been placed on supporting the organization HERA with its vocational guidance programs that help women to achieve lives of self-determination.

Organizations whose projects the Shelter Foundation has supported since 2001 include:
Ban Ying e.V.
Dortmund Midnight Mission e.V.
Good Shepherd Welcome House
HERA—Her Equality Rights and Autonomy
IOM—International Organization for Migration
Karo e.V.
LARA Bijeljina
Medica Mondiale
SOLWODI—Solidarity with Women in Distress