Habari za siku? (What's new today?) Uneanedeleaje? (How have you been?) Hujambo? (Are you okay?) Kwema? (Really everything fine?) Upo? (Are you here too?) Za nyumbani? (How are you at home?) Watoto hawajambo? (Are the kids okay?) Shughuli nyingine? (What else is there to tell?)
Dear Family, Friends and Donors,
a greeting in Swahili could look something like this... And not just for someone you haven't seen for a long time. – No, even if we saw each other yesterday, the greeting today can turn out like this. And the answers are always the same: Nzuri- it's fine, everything's fine. Although I had to get used to all this at first, even my greetings now sometimes last several minutes. How quickly one gets used to new cultural characteristics.
However, I still haven't gotten used to other things. For example that I attract attention with the color of my skin and thus act like a magnet for all children and people with behavioral problems. Wherever I go, the children on the side of the road call after Mzungu or want to touch me. In a school with around 1,000 children, that can be almost frightening... The fact that you're always the center of attention isn't what suits me as a person. After almost ten years in Africa, it can be tiring that you're still a 'sight'. But I know that these things cannot be changed and are just part of my everyday life now. I often retire to my house on top of the hill to enjoy the view and the peace and tranquility.
Attention, get set, go - everyone on the Mzungu Sunset from the veranda
Things are going well in our Dispensary. A significant number of patients visit us every day and the team seems motivated. Even if there is a new challenge to be mastered almost every day, my colleagues remain calm and focused at work. I arrived in Tanzania a good 4 weeks ago. Since then the cars have been in the garage three times and still don't work. Every day there is a sink that leaks or the computer system goes on strike. For all the repair work, I'm happy to have a large team, because often it's not just about helping the patients, but somehow keeping the whole operation going. Unfortunately, we have not been able to record any success with our water project to date. In short, the drilling was unsuccessful and the drilling manager is gone with the money. Feelings of guilt and anger often arise, but also powerlessness. Fulfillment and disappointment often alternate in my work. But it's still the case that when I look into the grateful eyes of a healed patient, or visit the new grocery store of a former Amani house resident, all doubts are blown away and I know again - I'm in the right place.
A flat tire - that's nothing extraordinary. Our team at an outreach, where we checked the blood sugar
Extraordinary. But when even the spare tire level and the blood pressure of around 300 elderly people.
was flat and had to wait for hours under the
observing eyes of good 100 children, my
patience was strained.
In the past six months, some of our employees have been able to attend further training, which is very important to me. The team shall develop constantly and gain more knowledge. In June, the entire team visited the neighboring psychiatric ward and learned valuable tips for dealing with mental illnesses, which are often still stigmatized here. In August, Gastuce, our former chief physician, started his training as an optician and eye specialist in Nairobi. Finding one's way in the big city and in a foreign country was not so easy for the young man and he has become a lot slimmer. But in the meantime he is getting along well and is full of motivation during his studies. Two of my co-workers traveled to Arusha in September where they attended a two-week seminar on physical and mental disabilities. The two of them also enjoyed traveling so far for the first time in a big bus, but also gaining new knowledge, which they now implement every Saturday with our disabled children. Also in September, our management team came to Nairobi where we enjoyed a team building workshop. The management team faces many challenges every day. Be it with clients, materials or team members. In order to continue to be able to successfully manage all the projects, I saw it as an urgent need to carry out specific further training in the management team. We also enjoyed these 4 days in Nairobi together, were able to learn a lot from each other and get to know each other on a deeper level.
Our Amani house is usually full. In the last 6 months, the Damian family has been able to move into their own home, and also 2 other residents have also been successfully reintegrated into the village community. Emelius has opened a small shop with his savings, but also with a microcredit from Maisha Mema and runs it with enough profit to be able to feed himself. Mama Karen, who sought refuge with us with her disabled child, was able to return home after many discussio