Sitting among the piles of paperwork for the Pamoja tax return, I welcome you to the third Pamoja newsletter of the year. It’s been three months since the last update from Maua Villa, and I’m delighted to share the latest news from Maua Villa with you.
Overwhelming interest in permaculture training
As announced in the last newsletter , the first workshops of our permaculture training have taken place. We had anticipated strong interest, but not this much: There were an incredible 98 registrations for the 15 available spots. Fortunately, in coordination with the WP Schmitz Foundation, we were able to increase the number of participants to 25. This clearly shows us the potential of this topic and that there is a great need for knowledge within the community.
On August 22, Meshack opened the training together with the Yatta Ward Administrator, the local representative of the district administration. His encouraging appeal to the participants was very gratifying and demonstrated the “official interest” of the regional authorities in the training. The first session then served primarily to get to know the participants and compare their knowledge levels in order to tailor the subsequent training sessions accordingly. The participants were highly motivated, curious, and after the session, they were literally “hyped” and full of energy for the coming weeks.
In the second session, we were delighted to welcome permaculture expert Jennifer Nyanga Adache. She and Meshack answered many questions about the Maua Villa farm and why we do things the way we do. Our worm farm and composting toilet attracted particular interest. The Banana Circle and the diversity of our farm were also central topics.
Career dreams of the Maua Villa Kids are taking shape
You, dear Pamoja Friends, are simply incredible! After I enthusiastically shared about our new social worker Charles in the last newsletter, it only took a few days to secure funding for his salary for a whole year. I’m so grateful and still overwhelmed by how well our little community works <3.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to experience how important and sustainable Charles’ work is. He’s launched a new program for career and talent development. Of course, we’ve talked about our kids’ career aspirations before, but Charles simply takes it to a whole new level.
His approach is particularly valuable for our high school students, as it allows them to discover their strengths and interests and formulate career aspirations: from chefs to teachers, police officers to firefighters. Through creative role-playing, the kids had the opportunity to experience various professions and imagine themselves as engineers or “Madam President.”
In addition to learning about different career fields, the program also explored educational paths and the academic achievements that are important for making one’s dreams come true. This allows the children to develop an understanding of their own talents and recognize the importance of perseverance, ethics, and self-confidence.
Family members, staff, and our resident Njenga (17), who wants to become a DJ, enthusiastically attended the sessions. I was able to participate in the presentation online. It was a touching moment for me – full of pride and confidence for a promising future. 🔮
Thanks to Charles, the children realize that their dreams are valuable and achievable with education, courage, and support. ✨
A better learning environment for Grade 8 students at Kivingoni Primary School
We have long desired a closer collaboration with our local primary school, Kivingoni Primary and Junior Secondary School. Our goal is to create a safe and hopeful learning environment where not only our children, but all 433 of them, can thrive. In June, Meshack, Felistus, Charles, and I met again with headmistress Mrs. Mbondo to discuss improvements.
The list of needs was long. A major problem is the shortage of teachers – an issue that is also well known in Germany. Mrs. Mobondo also spoke about infrastructure problems, emphasizing, for example, how urgently the 8th grade needs a new floor. The old cement floor is completely worn out and stirs up so much dust that the students cough violently, especially during the hot season.
With the long-term goal of a sustainable collaboration, we covered the purchase of tiles, cement, sand, and labor costs. The project was completed during the recent midterm break. In the video, you can see how delighted the children were with their new, clean learning environment. After our funding approval, we could see how Mrs. Mbondo also opened up to our suggestions, especially regarding the educational approach to the children. With the new floor, we hoped not only to improve the health of the 8th-grade students, but also to lay the foundation for closer cooperation with the school.
Renovation work at Maua Villa
A stable foundation is also essential for our water kiosk, built in 2017. The concrete ceiling of the structure had become porous, and it was unclear whether and for how long it would be able to support the 5,000-liter water tank. Therefore, we renovated the water kiosk from the ground up and built it significantly more stable.
After more than eleven years, it’s normal that some repairs or renovations are needed. We currently rely on your support for these smaller and larger projects.
Mattresses (€350): 10 new mattresses because the old ones were very worn out due to years of use and, in some children, bedwetting.
Plaster & Paint (€300): The girls want a plastered facade and interior to prevent scorpions and snakes from entering the house. The boys want a new coat of paint for their walls.
Office equipment (€250): A table, chairs and a new window with slats for light and ventilation so that Felistus, Meshack and Charles can work properly and keep a cool head.
Men’s Accommodation (€350): Sometimes up to three men share the modest accommodation, and minor renovations would improve the living conditions and quality of life. A table, two chairs, and an additional door for more privacy. Because the men don’t share the shower with the children and women for cultural reasons, they built their own small makeshift shower. We would also like to improve this area. You can find pictures of the accommodation at the end of this section.
Fence (€160): Cows and goats frequently stray onto our farm. They eat, trample, and damage our plants. We want to close the gaps in the fence and need concrete posts and barbed wire.
Entrance gate (€180): We would like to move the gate to facilitate the delivery of building materials. Currently, the angle is too narrow, and truck drivers have damaged our neighbor’s trees and shrubs several times.
At this point, I’d also like to briefly mention that the water filtration system , made possible through a donation from Cents for Help (Bosch), is now installed and running. What a tremendous improvement for the health of our Maua Villa family.💧
The final part of the school year is approaching
The school year in Kenya is coming to an end, and we’re already in the final term. It’s customary here to pay school fees per term, and many parents are busy raising money for their children’s school fees before the start of each term.
We plan the budget for all secondary school terms at the beginning of the year, and funding for the current year is secured – for which we are infinitely grateful. But we are already thinking about the next school year, because we want nothing more than for all eleven schoolchildren to have the opportunity for independent living through education.
If you would like to help us cover the costs for the next school year, we would be grateful for your help. You can find all the information about the Kenyan school system and the costs on our project page Secondary School .
If you’ve read this far, I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your attention and support. If you’re able, I’d appreciate your donation for our upcoming projects or for the secondary school. Perhaps you’d like to share the newsletter with someone or get involved with us yourself. You can find information about this on our website .
Asanti sana & see you soon 👋🏼✌🏽
Your Anja with the great support of Heike & Jochen
