As the year slowly comes to an end, our Christmas edition of the Pamoja Africa newsletter finds its way into your inbox. I’m writing these lines to you from Kenya. Of course, even from afar I’m always closely connected to everything happening at Maua Villa, but being here in person simply feels different. I noticed that especially when I got to join the final session of our permaculture training, which I’ll tell you more about in a moment.

But before that, I’d love to draw your attention to our Pamoja Africa Christmas Campaign, which we’ve just launched on our website in time for this newsletter.

There you will find, just like last year, a wide range of meaningful Christmas gift ideas, from small essentials to bigger wishes. What is new this year is that we can send you or the person you are gifting a professionally printed postcard on request. You will find more details at the end of this edition.

📣 UPDATE: In 2026 we offer you the possibility to send new year’s greetings https://pamoja-africa.org/en/?campaign=gifts#donate-form

Settling back into Maua Villa

When I arrived at Maua Villa, the children were still with their families and returned one after another. In line with the new National Child Care Policy, the children have been spending more time in their families this year. A key element of this policy is the gradual move away from institutional care, with the aim of reducing the number of children growing up in children’s homes. At the same time, family and community based care models are being strengthened.

Once all the children were back, we needed a few days to settle in again as the Maua Villa family, because every child returns with very different experiences from home. But after a short time the familiar and joyful atmosphere returned, the one I love so much. The children support each other, there are hardly any conflicts and they seem happy, safe and carefree. That means the world to us and is especially thanks to the wonderful work of Charles and Faith.

With the new Kenyan school year starting around the turn of the year, there are also changes ahead for us. Mutoko and Mwau are moving into grade ten, which means they transition from Junior Secondary to Senior Secondary School. Ngina and Njambi have completed Primary School and are now waiting for their exam results to find out which Junior Secondary School they will join next.

A successful school education is the key to an independent and empowered future. If you would like to support us in covering the school fees, we would be very grateful. 👉 Here is our Secondary School fundraising campaign .

Erfolgreicher Abschluss unseres Permakultur-Trainings

After fourteen intensive training sessions, we have successfully completed our first large permaculture training with twenty five small scale farmers from the surrounding area. And what a wonderful and powerful moment it was. The Maua Villa common house was full, the atmosphere was vibrant and our trainer team guided everyone through the final session with so much calm, clarity and expertise. I was right in the middle of it.

What impressed me most was the group itself. Three months ago, many participants were still working with chemical fertilisers and often unintentionally against natural cycles. Today they speak with ease about caring for the earth, caring for people and sharing resources in a fair way, which together form the ethics of permaculture. They discuss rainwater harvesting, erosion control, soil building and how they can farm in harmony with nature and its cycles and even describe themselves as permaculturists.

The final training session was originally planned to end at one in the afternoon, but we only wrapped up at four thirty because the conversations were so lively and the participants really did not want the session to end. The group discussed at length how they can organise themselves after the training, support each other and put what they learned into practice in the long run. Many participants have already invited us to visit their farms, which we see as a strong confirmation of the training and a wonderful compliment to our shared work.

The next day, the first photos appeared in our group chat, showing how the participants had started using the starter package we gave them. It included items such as seeds, fertilizer and worms to help create fertile, living soil. We could not be happier with the feedback. I feel hopeful that we have started a small wave of change and I would love to make it possible for more farmers to join a training like this. ✨

Maua Villa children love the new conference equipment

A wonderful side effect of the permaculture training is the projector, screen and sound system we purchased for the programme. What was originally meant as simple workshop equipment has now become a source of joy for our children and teenagers.

The new speakers are perfect for our “Kamba dance sessions” (see video 📹), which the children organise every Tuesday and Thursday before and after dinner. With the small Bluetooth speaker the sessions were only half as much fun as they are now. The sound, the energy and the joy of the children are just fantastic.

We also use the projector regularly for our Friday movie night. With the large picture on the screen it almost feels like we are sitting in a real cinema. 🍿 It is wonderful to see how much joy these new possibilities bring to our children.

On the way to better education standards

You might remember that in the last newsletter I shared improvements at our local Primary and Junior Secondary School in Kivingoni. The long term goal of our Kenyan partner organisation EPCSP (Eastern Plateau Child Support Program) is to strengthen and deepen our collaboration. Together with the school leadership we now want to take the next steps to improve education standards and the overall care situation. Unfortunately, coordination remains challenging. But we are not discouraged and we keep going.

Our team is working with great commitment to move this forward. In the past weeks, Meshack, Felistus and Charles have developed a thoughtful and well structured concept to improve both teaching and student support. The concept brings together the urgent infrastructural needs as well as pedagogical approaches that aim to improve the learning environment in a lasting way.

We now want to share this concept with the school leadership, develop it further together and put it into practice. We deeply hope that we can continue the path we started together. We believe this will create long term improvements for all children at Kivingoni Primary and Junior Secondary School, including our own Maua Villa children. 😊

Janine Wohlers elected as treasurer

I am very happy to welcome Janine as our new treasurer on the board. She was elected to the role during the member meeting on 5th November 2025 and will strengthen our board team. In this position, Janine would like to focus especially on the area of financial strategy.

When Janine first heard about Maua Villa in 2023 during a mentoring session with me, she was immediately full of enthusiasm. Since then, her heart has been with the children of Maua Villa, with transparency in accounting and with every Excel sheet that helps make our impact more visible. Janine loves numbers, but even more she loves when numbers tell real stories.

Alongside Janine’s election, the existing board members were confirmed in their roles, a sign of trust and appreciation. I would like to express a special thank you to Heike, who continuously brings great dedication and supports the organisation with so much heart.

We would also like to extend our warm thanks to Thomas. For many years he served as our treasurer and has stepped down from the role at his own request. Thomas will continue to support us by preparing the annual donation receipts, and we are very grateful that he will remain part of the Pamoja family.

If you would like to show your connection to Pamoja Africa, we would be delighted to welcome you as a member. With your annual contribution you strengthen our organisation and support our work in a sustainable way. You can find the membership form on our website .

Meaningful giving – our Christmas campaign 💛

As mentioned at the beginning, we have prepared a Christmas donation campaign again this year. It is perfect for anyone looking for a gift with real meaning. We have created donation packages in different amounts, and anyone who donates a package will receive a beautifully designed card with space for a personal message.

On our wish list you will find

• Clothing: A new outfit for a Maua Villa child
• Christmas celebration: Support our annual Christmas celebration at Maua Villa
• Food package: A food bundle for the child’s family of origin for the holiday season
• School trip: A trip for children in Secondary School
• Secondary School: A contribution to school fees for Secondary School
• Goat: A goat for a family of origin as lasting support
• Family trip: Support the annual Maua Villa family outing

NEW this year: In addition to the e-card you can print yourself, we now offer the option to have the card professionally printed and sent directly to the person you are gifting, in your name.📯 All details about the packages and how you can donate are available in the Pamoja Africa Christmas Campaign.

Of course we also asked our children what they actually wish for this Christmas. Their answers could not have been more different. Damaris, for example, wished very selflessly that Mutoko and Mwau achieve good exam results so they can attend a respected Senior Secondary School. Kaluki, on the other hand, dreams of a new cargo pair of trousers, and Thathi is already excited about our annual Maua Villa family trip and wishes for a real safari. 🐘🦓🦒🦏

The Pamoja Africa family wishes you a wonderful Christmas season

To close, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you on behalf of Pamoja Africa and the Maua Villa team. Thank you for making our work possible, for helping us strengthen Maua Villa and the community in Kivingoni and for standing with us through every high and low. We wish you a beautiful Advent season, calm and gentle December days, and a loving and joyful Christmas. Thank you for being part of our Pamoja family! 💛

Your Anja with the great support of Heike & Jochen