Ute Winkler Stumpf (center) with German President Horst Köhler and his wife, Eva Luise, at the awards ceremony
Copyright: German Federal Press Office

On Dec. 5, 2008, German President Horst Köhler awarded Hilfsaktion Noma e.V. President Ute Winkler-Stumpf with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at his official residence, Berlin’s Bellevue Palace.

She gladly accepted this commendation for the work of the organization “on behalf of all those, who have supported the organization’s work over the years”, Ute Winkler-Stumpf said.

“Today our country symbolically says ‘Thank You’ to you,” President Köhler said in his speech.

“I would like to pass on this ‘Thank You’ to all those people who have supported the work of the organization in any way, in the name of children with noma, and with great happiness and gratitude for your support”, Ute Winkler-Stumpf added.