As I write these lines, Maua Villa is buzzing with joy. Thanks to the midterm break, there’s no school, and our children are enjoying their short holiday at home with us. It’s wonderful to see how excited they are about the changes and progress in their home – something I’d love to share with you in this first newsletter of 2025.

Midterm Break: Time for Renovations and Knowledge Sharing

The completion of our common house and adjacent storage room has given us the chance to better organize the spaces in Maua Villa. We’re using this opportunity to make the most of the newly available areas:

• The new common house is being fitted with shelves to serve as additional storage.
• The former common room next to the kitchen will now be our new food storage area.
• The previous food storage room is being transformed into an office for Felistus – finally giving her a proper workspace.
• The old storage room, which also houses our solar batteries, is being converted into a guest room.

A huge thank you to Auto-Elektrik Thomas Michels e. K. for the financial support in making these renovations possible!

We also took advantage of the midterm break to give our four oldest boys a hands-on learning experience at a bike shop in Matuu. They learned how to repair brakes and adjust gears – skills they passed on to the younger children in Maua Villa the very next day. Our hope is that, in the future, we’ll be able to handle common bike repairs ourselves. 🚲 #KnowledgeSharing #Empowerment

Bright Smiles, Learning Dental Care the Fun Way

A dentist from Matuu visited Maua Villa, making dental health fun and engaging for the children. Through hands-on activities and clear explanations, they learned the importance of regular brushing. The kids had a blast and bombarded the dentist with questions. It was a fantastic visit – one we hope will have a lasting impact!

Shaping the Future: Our Goals for 2025

We started this year with a team planning session to align our vision and set our goals for 2025. Our long-term mission remains unchanged: we aim to create a self-sustaining children’s home that not only provides a safe and nurturing environment but also serves as a center for education, awareness, and community empowerment. The specific objective is:

“To establish a self-sustainable children’s home that not only provides a nurturing environment for children but also serves as a hub for raising awareness and empowering the local community through education and sustainable practices.”

The session was divided into two parts. First, we explored the importance of shared goals and how to define them effectively (think SMART goals). Then, each team member set specific objectives for their area of responsibility for the first quarter.

The following goals were set for the farm:

• Improving soil fertility at Maua Villa
• Introducing and consistently applying best practices for tree care

And to ensure we achieve these goals, help the farm grow and flourish, and reward us with abundant harvests, we have introduced a new ritual.

All Hands on Deck – or Rather, in the Soil

From now on, our entire team will come together once a month to work on the farm. During our first session, we prepared the agroforestry area for the dry season by loosening the soil, adding compost, and applying a mulch layer. The farm day was not only enjoyable for everyone but also highly motivating for the farm team and strengthened our team spirit. Plus, these efforts directly contribute to our goal of improving soil fertility.

Raising the Education Standard

Another key focus for 2025 is improving the education standards at Kivingoni Primary and Junior Secondary School, where our primary kids attend. We’ve already had an initial meeting with Headmaster Mbondo, and I’m curious to see how quickly we can make progress – despite the often slow-moving processes in Kenya.

We are incredibly grateful that we were able to fully cover the school costs for nine of our children/ teenagers for 2025. Felistus has now started planning for 2026, and thanks to the experience and real figures from this year, the process has been much easier. For 2026, the total school costs for eleven children will be approximately 8,827€, which comes to 802€ per child – slightly lower than our original estimate of 900€ for 2025.

USAID Decision: Challenges for Kenyan Children’s Homes

Before we finish, let’s take a broader look at the situation beyond Maua Villa. The recent decision by the U.S. government to halt funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is having a major impact on Kenya’s economy, healthcare system, and social institutions. This is causing massive problems – not just here in Kenya.

Many Children’s Charitable Institutions (CCIs), including children’s homes, are facing closure or severe financial struggles due to the loss of funding. Essential medications for HIV and tuberculosis treatment are no longer provided for free and must now be purchased at Matuu Level 4 Hospital, our nearest public hospital. Additionally, nutritional support for HIV and TB patients has already been discontinued, and unfortunately, the Kenyan government is unable to fill this gap.

Right now, Meshack is in Nakuru with five other delegates from well-known organizations like Plan International and Care Kenya. They’ve been tasked by the Children’s Department in Kithimani to assess the situation in children’s homes affected by these closures – though without any government support. The current plan is to relocate the children to other homes, but since juvenile detention centers are also shutting down, this will place additional strain on existing children’s homes.

Exact figures on how many children will be affected should be available next month when the assessment is complete. After the 90-day transition period, all affected CCIs will be forced to close, while institutions funded by other organizations will remain operational. The timeline for this closure is far too short, making it nearly impossible to manage the relocation of so many children in such a short period. I’ll be able to share more updates on this in the next newsletter.

Together Strong

In light of these troubling developments, I find it especially meaningful to be part of such a wonderful community like Pamoja Africa. Your support is what makes all these achievements possible – from providing education for our children to driving sustainable improvements at Maua Villa. Together, we can make a real difference! I look forward to sharing new insights and updates with you in a few months. Asanti Sana! Pamoja – Together Strong 💛

Yours Anja with great support from Heike & Jochen