Newsletter November 2022

Dear Friends,

it's time again for our biannual newsletter. In this edition, I want to give our employees an opportunity to share their thoughts:

Omary Abdallah is one of our gardeners. As a devout Muslim, he participates in our regular morning devotions and often has many questions for us.

"I am very grateful to be part of the Dunia ya Heri team. This job helps me send my children to school. Additionally, with my salary, I was able to afford chickens and goats, which provide me with additional income. I am very thankful for the pension and health insurance plans that have been set up for me. They make my life much easier. May God richly bless Dunia ya Heri and all those who support us."

Mika Wilson Matchala is our headmaster, responsible for the primary school established in January 2022.

"I thank God for our primary school, which provides a Christian education to our children. I am happy to be part of Dunia ya Heri. It is a great joy to see the children develop spiritually, physically, and socially. Through your support, it is possible to give our children a better future."

Borni Mkufu is a day watchman and shares some of the responsibility for the farm work.

"I highly value the Dunia ya Heri organization and am grateful to have a job that helps me cover my family's basic needs. Both of my children attend our primary school. The costs are affordable compared to other schools. I have also grown spiritually through our regular morning devotions. Dunia ya Heri often becomes a blessing for people facing difficult life circumstances."

Francis Mwaibula is one of our first employees. He works as a gardener.

"I am very grateful for my job. It is important to me that salaries are always paid on time at the end of the month, which is not a given in Tanzania. My daughter attends Dunia ya Heri's primary school. I am also thankful for the support with school fees that we receive as employees. Dunia ya Heri helped me build my small house. And the social benefits (health and pension insurance) also make our lives more bearable. May God richly bless you for supporting Dunia ya Heri."

Michael Andrew has been with us since the beginning of our project. He is our builder and has overseen the many construction projects on the property in recent years.

"Honestly, I love my work and the sense of community in our 'Dunia ya Heri' family. Dunia ya Heri has become a blessing for me and my family. I am no longer the same person I was before my employment at Dunia ya Heri. I appreciate the regular morning devotions and particularly thank Mr. Thomas and Mama Beate for their dedicated work for our orphans and the help given to our employees. Many thanks."

Jessica Simon Chota is one of our caregivers. Jessica also helps with preschool lessons.

"Dunia ya Heri is truly a 'Land of Blessing'. The orphanage, the buildings, the ecological aspects, the garden, the premises, the food, etc., are all very well taken care of. There is a very good atmosphere among the staff and the management of the orphanage. The children receive everything they need for their development. We are proud and happy to be part of the Dunia ya Heri family. May God continue to richly bless Dunia ya Heri."

Tumaini Kategea is an assistant. He is responsible for accounting and coordinates details. He is in town every week to do the shopping. He is very reliable.

"The time I've worked at Dunia ya Heri has matured me and taught me to commit more to other people. I am happy that Dunia ya Heri enables our children to have a better life with much love and care. It touches me to see how the children grow, receive a Christian education, and how their various needs are met. Dunia ya Heri also helps the families of our employees secure their basic needs. All of this is only possible because there are people who care about us and help us through their work, their gifts, and donations. Thank you very much for the support, which has also given meaning to my life."

Our three volunteers, Kaia, Christina, and Charlotte, are with us for about 9 months each and support us in various areas.

"It is a privilege to volunteer for Dunia ya Heri. We can grow in our personal development and learn to perform a variety of tasks. In doing so, we always try to be good role models for the children. We also learn some things from them. Their cheerfulness and laughter, the songs they sing during the day, the love and affection they show us, and especially their childlike faith impress us greatly. We are grateful to be a part of their lives, just as they have become a part of ours."

Our Children

(The names of the children have been changed.)

Despite the immense joy the children constantly bring us, there are also challenges that require our time and effort, as some of the 27 orphans unfortunately have health problems.

Christa can finally walk, but the biggest concern is her weight gain. She suffers from a genetic sickle cell disease, which requires a lot of daily attention.

Sandra, our first premature baby, has developed wonderfully. Her initial squint has resolved. However, she may eventually need glasses. She is a very curious and bright child.

Henoch's prognosis was very poor, as there were concerns about whether he would ever walk properly due to the deformity of his feet. Meanwhile, he walks quite well and, despite his difficulties, is a very cheerful boy.

Fatima has been with us for several years now. She suffered from epileptic seizures. We are grateful that she hasn't had any seizures this year. She is a cheerful child who loves going to school and knows what she wants.

Thura, our second premature baby, is now thriving, and we are relieved that all the babies who initially tested positive for HIV no longer show any signs of AIDS.

Even Sam, who initially suffered from drug withdrawal symptoms, is now calmer and less noticeable.

The medical care of our children often involves significant effort – for example, trips to the city with patient waiting for treatment. And, of course, we also bear the costs of medical care, but the joy outweighs everything when the children feel better despite everything and the effort has been worthwhile. For this, we are very grateful to God.

The Primary School

Our school has now been granted official recognition by the "Ministry of Education." It was a lengthy process that took more than two years. Next January, we will offer the third grade, which will increase the number of our schoolchildren to approximately 40 to 50 children. Children from poor families in the surrounding area receive financial support. By the end of the year, four new classrooms will be completed, and the shell construction of two more classrooms is also almost finished. In total, we will need eight classrooms in the long term.

Garden and Construction Measures

Around the turn of the year, some of our pineapple plants will bear fruit for the first time. We will dry a lot of fruit in our new solar drying facility, make jam, and if our own capacity is overwhelmed, we can also sell the remaining pineapples. We are delighted with the success we are achieving through the use of old, open-pollinated vegetable varieties. Our children eagerly help out and enjoy their free time in the garden.

In recent weeks, excavation has been carried out for the construction of an earth cellar for storing fruits and vegetables. This will enable us to store our produce for longer.

A request has been submitted to "Ein Herz für Kinder" (A Heart for Children) for support in building a much-needed kitchen with a dining hall.

For the establishment of a small village clinic in Puna, intended to serve the residents, we have now purchased a suitable plot of land, made possible by earmarked donations, for which we are very grateful.

Community Assistance

Since our last report, we have been able to build four more houses and roofs for particularly needy families who were living in dilapidated huts. This means that a total of nine families have now received help.

Special Challenges

Unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that our costs are rising due to the increasing number of children, the school's construction measures, and additional teaching staff, while our donation income has somewhat decreased. This is certainly due to the global energy crisis. However, we hope that we will be able to cover our ongoing costs without problems in the coming year as well. We pray that our God will continue to bless Dunia ya Heri as he has done so far, and we are grateful to every single donor for their involvement in our orphanage. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all our sponsors and supporters.