School fees and uniforms for 14 Mammadu kids

Hallo to all my dear donors

2016 really started with a BANG!

We have a brandnew schoolbus: a 23 seater Mercedes Sprinter which we bought from the donations by Mammadu e.V Germany. THANK YOU.

At last we can now transport more children to school and know that they are safe in the bus. Our old bus, besides having only 12 seats,  was having more and more problems and had to go for a service ever so often. We are all delighted about our new Sprinter. Thank you for your generosity.

Our bakery is also due to be completed soon. I really can’t wait for it. We just need a few small items and a coat of paint on the outside. Then we can get started baking bread for our children and for our neighbourhood, and some persons can even train as a baker. I am really looking forward to it. Ideas and recipes for baking are most welcome!

Munio was responsible for another BANG. Many of you will probably still remember her story. She is now in the second senior level  and does really well at school, so much so that we have decided to support her in her studies. She is now enrolled at the Waldorf School. Waldorf schools (also known as Rudolf Steiner Schools and in Germany where they are officially recognized they are known as Freie Waldorfschulen) are schools whose approach to teaching is based on the Waldorf pedagogical principles of their founder Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925) . These principles are inspired by Steiner’s philosophy known as anthroposophy. Being at this school will naturally open up many possibilities for Munio. She is very enthusiastic and works very hard at her studies. I am really proud of her because she certainly has the willpower to succeed and gives her all. She has a long schoolday, from 7:00 to 15:30, and then there are still homework tasks and projects to be completed, besides HAVING to learn German. I am holding my thumbs for her and am motivating her as strongly as possible because this is truly a huge opportunity for her future.

Three of our children presented is with gladdening BANGS.

One of the little girls burnt her feet with hot porridge in her hut. Unfortunately her mother did not take her to the clinic immediately and even put a plaster onto the burns. This naturally made everything much worse in a short period of time and the little one developed a fever. Thankfully friends then took her to their home in order to treat the feet several times daily and keep them free of dust and dirt, something which would have been impossible at the child’s own home. A year ago she had also acquired burns at her home and it is sad to see that the own home environment can often be so dangerous for the kids. 

On the other hand, one of our older boys experienced a real Bang when he was hit by a car on his way to school. He was taken to hospital where his leg had to be operated on. Now he is in plaster for four weeks from his hip down to his foot and has to walk on crutches. He can‘t even remember how it all happened. He just explained to me , “Mami, the car was far away and then he bumped me!“ Early in the morning, at about 6:30, there is a huge hustle and bustle on the roads. Hundreds of kids who are walking to school must use the roads because there are no pedestrian paths, many taxis and cars rush around with hardly anyone sticking to the traffic rules and with police nowhere to be seen. The driver of the vehicle apparently stopped when the accident happened but he then just decided to drive on when the people gathering around the scene tried to punch him. The police are looking for him, but .... I am just grateful that our guardian angels were on duty, otherwise everything could have been much worse. The boy is now with his aunt in another suburb of the city and I need to find a way how to get him to school.

Another little boy also got burnt. A family member had parked the car in front of their house with the bonnet opened to let the overheated engine cool down. The kid, not being supervized, succeeded in opening the cap of the radiator and was burnt by the boiling water on his face and chest. Thankfully, he too is getting better.  

All else is fine. Our pre-school kids are really sweet. During the first two weeks where everything was strange and unfamiliar to them all was quiet and peaceful at Mammadu, but we have now reached the phase where they are busy trying out how far they can go! By now they have got used to our routine and most of them can recognize their own toothbrush.

Our school-going kids are getting more and more homework and have to study more. Well, this is what happens when you are in the fourth grade already!

As always our volunteers are truly a huge help and they are playing a  very important role at Mammadu. They are always friendly, always helpful. Without them I would not know how we would manage. They all went out for icecreams! It was great fun.