Newsletter November 2024

Dear all,

As always, the most important news first – and that concerns our children:

Our Children

In the late afternoon of August 9th, visitors from the social welfare office brought us four siblings: the oldest, 6 years old; twins (a girl and a boy) aged three; and a girl aged just 10 months. The mother, we were told, had an alcohol problem, gave the children alcohol before bed, and left the house at night. After failing to return for 10 days, neighbors decided to inform the social welfare office to find suitable accommodation for the children. The children have since settled in well, although one of them needed a bit more time, and the youngest was malnourished.

We are now caring for 41 children. This means we are quickly approaching our limits. We had planned to take in a maximum of approximately 50 children until they completed their vocational training – apprenticeship or studies. Now we already have over 40 children, but these are only up to 13 years old.

“Give, and it will be given to you” – We were able to experience the meaning of this promise quite literally. On a national holiday in August, our oldest children asked if they could once again go with us to a nearby village to help people in need. We took sugar, rice, and beans from the pantry, packed some books, clothes, and soap, and on the way, bought some freshly caught fish. Life in the tropics mostly takes place in front of the huts. So, it's often possible to tell, by various signs, whether families are in need. After a brief introduction, we inquire about their living conditions: relatives and children, employment, any health challenges, etc. People are usually very open and happy when someone takes the time for them. Some individuals receive financial support in addition to the gifts, for example, for medicine or an urgently needed doctor’s visit.

Neighborhood help

The children conclude by singing some of their memorized songs, and if desired, we bid farewell with a short prayer. On this day, we were able to visit five families. The children realize that even with little effort, you can make people happy. Furthermore, these outreach efforts bring a lot of joy not only to those seeking help but also to our children. They frequently ask when our next visits will be.

Three days later, the family of an Indian car mechanic, who regularly services our vehicles, came to visit. At the end of their stay, they asked us to come with them to their vehicle to help them carry things, as they had brought quite a few items for our children. There were sacks containing 100 kg of rice, 75 kg of beans, sugar, washing powder, clothes, and stationery such as colored pencils, school notebooks, etc. We were given back many times over what we had just distributed to people in need. The children were able to witness that God's promises indeed come to fruition.

Our Farm

Today, we were able to bring 50 pineapples, three banana bunches with approximately 30 bananas each, 6 kg of sesame, 10 kg of okra, a box of green onions, chili peppers, and 20 papayas from our farm. These are yields we can harvest about two to three times a week. Of course, the harvest varies by season. A significant portion of our fresh food is already covered by our farm.

Our Construction Projects

Our new refectory is now really taking shape. Maike and Jonathan – friends from Deggendorf – visited us for three weeks to lend a hand. Jonathan is a carpenter, and together with his wife, in just three short weeks, he built all the kitchen furniture for the refectory for us. This was proper German precision work, but with African hardwood. They had helped us once before in 2017. So, I intended to call Jonathan again this year to ask if he could help us with the large refectory kitchen. But then, after such a long time, he suddenly contacted us himself and asked if they could come back. I’m not sure if that was merely a coincidence.

A container, which also contained materials for the kitchen such as kitchen machines, sinks, fixtures, an osmosis system (for clean water), gas and electric stoves, and various cooking utensils, arrived in September, late but unharmed. The rickety truck, loaded with the container, got stuck on a small incline. Only a crane could help.

The reconstruction of the burnt school and chapel building is almost complete. We will be able to use the building again in the new school year.

Next year, we need to build the last two of a total of eight classrooms. Afterward, we will need two more dormitory buildings so that we can easily accommodate 50 to 60 children – which would then reach our planned maximum capacity. We believe that with more children, the necessary personal care can no longer be guaranteed to the same extent.

Our Challenges

Our rapid growth also brings financial challenges. On the one hand, personnel costs are rising because we need more caregivers; on the other hand, energy costs are increasing, as in most countries, which also makes many other things, such as food, more expensive.

Our salaries are above the national average, and our employees are generously paid compared to other employers. They have pension and health insurance. They also sometimes receive additional support outside the normal framework, such as an interest-free loan for building their house or help in the event of a family emergency. This, of course, also contributes to the generally positive atmosphere among the staff.

Depending on qualifications, the wage level in Tanzania ranges from approximately 100 to 350 Euros per month. Thus, we have to spend about 8,000 Euros on salaries each month, plus another 3,500 Euros for running costs. However, this does not include construction costs. So far – and I want to explicitly thank God for it – we have managed to pay our salaries and feed our children every month.

We thank all of you – because many of you have generously supported our orphanage project and thus helped our children. We recognize God's blessing in this. But we also want to thank those who have encouraged us through their active participation or supported us in other ways.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

With kind regards and blessings,

Your

Yours