Newsletter July 2023

Dear Friends,

Our rainy season, which typically lasts from April to June, is slowly coming to an end. This year, we had another good rainy season. The roads are in a disastrous state, but local farmers are looking forward to what is expected to be a good harvest.

A Small Miracle

In January, we received support from Jackline and entrusted her with the responsibility for the caretakers and kitchen at the orphanage. This allows my wife, Beate, to focus more on individual children who require more intensive care. Jackline lost one of her legs in a severe bus accident nine years ago and is currently making do with a poor and often painful prosthesis.

In January, we also had a visit from David Lumpi, a friend from Austria. We believe his visit was no coincidence, as his daughter works for a company that manufactures complex medical prostheses. The company has agreed to refurbish a used prosthesis for Jackline. This year, Jackline will travel to Austria to have the prosthesis fitted on-site. Such a prosthesis with semi-automatic joints can cost up to 20,000 Euros in Europe.

We can only marvel at how God guides our paths, and for us, this was truly a small miracle.

Our Children

In March, we received another call from the Department of Social Welfare in Dar es Salaam, asking us to pick up four children. They were siblings who had been abandoned by their mother. In December, the mother had asked her neighbor to look after the children for a few days and had since disappeared. Since the neighbor had no way of caring for the children long-term, she sought the help of the social welfare office.

Tatra, the eldest, who lovingly cares for her youngest brother, is now attending our primary school. Because she doesn't speak English yet, she has difficulty following the lessons and receives additional English instruction. In a few months, her English will surely be as good as that of the other schoolchildren.

Following the example of the famous neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who separated many conjoined twins and was motivated to read by his mother in his childhood – which profoundly shaped his career – we also give our children plenty to read. Often, a few days after finishing a book, they ask us for the next book.

The Primary School

Our school now has 53 children across three classes. Ten of these children are from the orphanage. Starting in January 2024, we will begin with the fourth grade. Our school has an excellent reputation.

Garden and Construction Measures

Unfortunately, one of our school buildings – we briefly reported on it in February – burned down due to sparks from a farmer who set his field on fire to clear it despite strong winds. Controlled burning (Feuerrodung) often leads to fires across the country and is actually prohibited. It is a painful loss for Dunia ya Heri. We will begin reconstruction after the rainy season. This time, we will construct a metal roof, which will significantly reduce the risk of fire. We are very grateful to all sponsors for providing us with the full amount needed for the reconstruction of the community and school building. For us, this is another great miracle.

The shell construction of the earth cellar on our farm, which we intend to use for storing fruits and vegetables, is now complete. Next, we will begin with the electrical work and plastering. We have opted for lime plaster with a lime wash. Both have an antiseptic effect and ensure good moisture balance.

Currently, we are still using our original cooking kitchen, which was intended for feeding our babies and toddlers. Therefore, we are even more grateful to have received the commitment from "Ein Herz für Kinder" (A Heart for Children) to fund our urgently needed canteen and cooking kitchen.

We submitted the building application at the beginning of the year and hope that it will be approved before summer.

This means we will have several construction projects to tackle in the second half of the year. It will be another very busy year.