Newsletter June 2020

Dear Friends,

A Time of Crisis

The rainy season, which lasts from April to May has come to an end. Our worries, to be cut off from Dar es Salaam due to the bad road situation, fortunately did not come true. The road was fixed on time. 

Tanzania has also been affected by the Corona crisis. So far no quarantine has been put into effect and gatherings and church services are still permitted. Facemasks have to be worn in public transports and shopping centers. Universities and schools have been closed as well as all international boarders.  Aside from these regulations the government puts the responsibility into the hands of each citizen.  The government tries to avoid anything that could have a negative effect on business and economy. The last information given out by Tanzania’s president Magufuli was that most of the corona tests in Tanzania were not reliable. Even animals and food were tested positive. Officially there are very few people who died from Covid-19 and also the number of persons who have been tested positive is quite low. Most people who have medical problems do not go to the hospital, either for financial reasons or because the hospital is simply too far away. The local which-doctors are cheaper and readily available. At the same time persons who die are not tested for the corona virus and Muslims are buried right away. The government – contrary to what we experience in Europe – is trying to do its best not to scare the population. Because the tests are not reliable, the government does not disclose statistics of the Corona infections or deaths any more. We comply with all government regulations and so far we have had no incidents amongst our staff or their larger families. 

Of course we are not sure what will happen due to the international economic crisis. We do not know if it will have an effect on donations. But we are sure that our project, which has always been accompanied by little miracles, will be carried on with God’s help. God promises that “our bread will be supplied and water will not fail”. 

Projects

The third orphanage for our children ages 6 to 12 has been completed at the beginning of this year. It was financed by a German foundation “Ein Herz für Kinder”. Due to the corona crisis we decided to start using the building for our Mamas (care takers). The older children will move into the building once worst part of the crisis is over. mWe would like to thank “Ein Herz für Kinder” – which is part of the largestest German daily newspapers (the “Bild Zeitung”) for their tremendous support they have given us.

Since this year we do not rely on external sources of energy or the extensive usage of generators anymore. Our three solar plants deliver enough electricity for four washing machines, five refrigerators, three deep freezers, tools in the work-shop and all the lighting. 

The building for our Primary School – which is being used as a church on weekends – has been completed. Also the furniture such as school desks and tables, chalk boards, etc... have been installed. We are currently in the process of the registration of the school in order to be able to begin with classes in the beginning of the new school year (January 2021). We thank “Restore a Child”–our partner organization as well as all individuals and institutions who have helped us make this dream come true. We want to give a very special word of thanks to Saskia Maier, the person who - together with her team - initiated this project. 

At year end a construction crew from Nuremberg, Germany helped us build a new playground. Many interesting and creative ideas formed the basics of this project. We decided to construct the playground items not simply for having “fun” but with a special focus on the physical development of our children (climbing, balancing, etc...) With simple means like round beams of Eucalyptus wood and old car tires the playground slowly took on its form. We are thankful for all the volunteers who helped with the construction. Special thanks to Nicole Pardubicki, who initiated this project and gave us a lot of practical ideas.    

The rainy season in Tanzania is always a time with lots of mud, dirty rainboots and wet clothes. Often torrents of water cross, what used to be a pathway. To get from one building to the other almost becomes an adventure. Dunia ya Heri Austria helped us financially to fix concrete sidewalks. Now one can walk from one dormitory to the next without stepping through ankle-deep mud.

Since we arrived in Tanzania we had a simple pizza oven. Unfortunately the oven could not be used during the rainy season because it was situated in the outdoors. Therefore we constructed a roof, increased the height of the chimney and insulated the baking-chamber. The oven needs less wood and the heat stays longer, so that we can now enjoy real homemade “German bread”. 

Neighborly Help

Also people in the nearby village can use our help. Two of our visitors/volunteers constructed a little house for a single mother with five children who lived in a shed, which virtually didn’t have much of any roof. The Moslem family is extremely happy and thankful. A small sign on the wall of the house reads: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain“. 

Friends, two dentists and one pediatrist came from Poland to support people in the nearby village. Within 10 days almost 15 persons were treated daily. Africans used to be known for their strong and healthy teeth. It is unfortunate that the modern life-style, to which they adapted, causes decay of their teeth. Even little children already show signs of caries because of the multitude of soft drinks and sweets combined with a general lack of dental hygiene. Therefore the main job of our dentists consisted in the pulling of teeth. We thank our polish friends for the support they offered. 

Our Children

With regards to their teeth, our children were a proud exception to the rule. None of them had tooth decay or cavities. Regular dental hygiene combined with a healthy and almost sugar-free diet are certainly responsible for this result. 

In our last newsletter we mentioned a little boy who urgently needed physiotherapy - preferably in a specialized clinic in Poland. Unfortunately we were not able to acquire the special permit, which he needed in order to leave the country. In hind thought it was fortunate, because he would have been trapped in Poland due to the arising restrictions of international travel. The boy now receives local treatment from a Physiotherapist. He shows substantial improvements in the way he walks and he is slowly beginning to talk. 

Until the beginning of this year we had three student-volunteers who stayed for an extended period of time. The three girls helped us a lot with pre-schooling. Our children began to learn to swim, which is not a very common skill to be found in Africa. Since we are situated near to the Indian Ocean it is very important for them to be able to deal with high water. It is not uncommon to hear of school children who drown because they never learnt how to swim. We give a special thanks to Vicky, Saskia and Sara for their support. 

Also in other areas the children are making progress. They know biblical texts and poems, approximately 20 songs - each with a number of strophes - by heart. The older children are beginning to be able to read. Children, beginning with the age of four, are able to write their names in capital and minuscular letters. They practice counting and start to learn some basic expressions in English and German. One of the girls is good enough to be able to translate into Swahili what Beate tells the children in German. And most importantly they have so much fun doing it. 

In the beginning of the year we received two children from another befriended Catholic orphanage. They could not stay there any longer, because they would only keep children up to the age of three years. The two children will most likely stay with us long-term.  They adapted very well. At the same time two children left Dunia ya Heri  - The Land of Blessing. One of them was adopted and the other child, a boy, returned to his father. His mother lost her life at birth and the father was not able to care for his baby. So the Welfare Office asked us for help until the boy was old enough to go back to his father. 

Finally we would like to thank you again for your support – it does not matter if individuals, organizations or companies – if by means of volunteer work, financial support, advice or simply by prayer. THANK YOU! 

We do not give up believing in miracles to happen in future. 

Best regards

Thomas Küsel, Vice Chair, Dunia ya Heri
Judith Klier, Chair, Dunia ya Heri

Donations

Tanzania

DUNIA YA HERI African Family and Healthcare, P.O. Box 71573, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
NIC Bank Tanzania Limited, Kariakoo Branch, Dar es Salaam 
Account Number USD:  2000234853 
Swift Code:  SFICTZTZ
Intermediary Bank:  CITIBANK NEW YORK, Swift Code: CITIUS33

Within the US

Donations from US-citizens are tax deductible if they are given to one of the following None Profit - 501c3 Organizations:  

• our partners “RESTORE A CHILD”: http://restoreachild.org/donate/
• OUTPOST CENTERS INTERNATIONAL: http://www.outpostcenters.org/donate/

Please do not forget to mention the project name of »DUNIA YA HERI« on your check, transfer slip or the “ministry need”.