Newsletter June 2021

Dear Friends, Many of you wish for less text and more photos in the newsletter. We will try to keep it brief to accommodate this request.

Our Children

Henry* has been under our care since the end of December. He came to us at four weeks old. His mother disappeared from the hospital after his birth. Henry suffers from "clubfeet," a tendon-related deformity of the ankle joints. Traditional therapy involves wearing a cast for approximately two months, followed by a minor operation, and then another month in a cast.

Orthopedic shoes are necessary until the age of five. In Henry's case, the cast was removed after just two weeks. The situation had improved so much that, miraculously, the operation was no longer necessary. He is now already wearing his orthopedic shoes. We are very grateful that his treatment was so successful, sparing him many inconveniences. The process of removing his cast took some getting used to. True to the motto, "do it yourself." Beate was assigned a tub at the hospital where she could soak the cast herself. Then she was handed a blade (essentially a scalpel without a handle) with the friendly request to remove the cast.

Well, she managed it without injuring Henry.

Carolina* is now almost 8 months old. She came to us from the hospital in Dar es Salaam in February. Carolina's mother unfortunately died shortly after her birth. Carolina has tested positive for HIV. Antibodies against HIV are transmitted from mother to child before birth. Antibody tests for HIV diagnosis in newborns are not conclusive. Positive nucleic acid tests are confirmed by a second blood draw in the newborn. The result of Carolina's repeated blood draw is still pending. We hope and pray for a good result.

Adriana* - another girl arrived on the same day as Carolina. She will be two years old in June. Her mother unfortunately suffers from mental illness and is therefore unable to care for her child.

Our Volunteers

Despite Corona, two individuals bravely volunteered to help us actively this year. Usually, we receive support from the aid organization "ADRA Deutschland" in cooperation with "weltwärts," an organization belonging to the "Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development" that is involved internationally in volunteer service. Unfortunately, the volunteer program was suspended last year due to the Corona situation. Nevertheless, we continue to receive inquiries from students who would like to come to us despite increased travel restrictions. As a result, we were able to host two volunteers again in 2020/21.

Melanie, Nicole, Marti, and Tomek. Melanie and Nicole have been helping us in various areas since August. Melanie completed her Matura (A-levels) last year, and Nicole is a trained nurse. Her focus is on wound management, which greatly benefits us.

Their daily activities consist of educating the children. They also take on various organizational and practical tasks. Our volunteers commit for approximately 9 to 12 months. Anyone interested in a "Voluntary Social Year" is welcome to contact us at the following email address: Info@Dunia-ya-Heri.org.

Construction Measures

To expedite the school permit process, the responsible authority requires the construction of additional classrooms. We hope to begin with the foundations and shell construction in the summer after the rainy season.

Currently, more paths on the premises are being paved and fitted with lighting for nighttime safety.

Our large water tower has now received a roof to protect the two 10,000-liter tanks from direct sunlight and heat, due to the risk of Legionella.

Our long-term goal is to ensure the self-sufficiency of our orphanage with our own produce. Our 11-hectare farm, located near the orphanage, was fenced in recent months – that was almost two kilometers of fencing material. Now, a self-sufficient irrigation system based on solar energy is to be established to water our fruit plantations (mainly mangoes, coconuts, bananas, durian, pineapples, and papayas) and vegetable beds during the long dry season. The irrigation system consists of its own well and a 50,000-liter water reservoir with over three kilometers of water pipes. The first 4,000 pineapple plants were planted shortly before the rainy season. In addition, a house with three accommodations for employees is to be built on the farm premises.

We will likely have to wait with the planned construction of the dining hall. However, we hope that with the imminent end of the Corona crisis, several construction teams will again be able to come to Tanzania to assist. For more information on dates, please inquire at Info@Dunia-ya-Heri.org.

Unfortunately, "Peter and Fritz" - two retirees from Switzerland - left us last week after a three-month stay. They intensively supported us with many practical tasks. Also worth mentioning are Tomek and Marti, a married couple from Poland. Both, as a primary school teacher and a civil engineer, spent two months intensively working with the children and on construction matters. Marietta, a retiree from Hanover, who regularly helped us in the garden for the past three years, unfortunately had to return to Germany a bit earlier this time. We thank all helpers, including those who only visited for a few short days and brought us some souvenirs in their luggage.

Special Challenges

We are very grateful that despite the currently difficult global situation, we could count on your support. We would also like to extend our warmest thanks to all our loyal donors - whether individuals, organizations, or companies - once again.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP - despite the omnipresent Corona crisis!

Every bit of support becomes a great blessing for the children. It brings us SUCH JOY to be able to accompany their development. These are children who feel secure and radiate true joy and contentment. We want to share our joy with you.