While the first New Year’s resolutions are already beginning to fade for many, we are currently feeling a tremendous amount of energy at Maua Villa. It is a mix of joy and gratitude for a milestone achieved, combined with the fresh breeze our newest family members are bringing into the Maua Villa family. But first things first.

Education Without Worry: 2026 is Secured

I’ll start directly with the news that has taken a huge weight off my shoulders: Secondary school for the year 2026 is fully funded! Interestingly, now that we can work with real figures, it appears we will likely even stay below our originally planned budget of 8,830 euros. We are currently calculating around 7,900 euros for our eleven teenagers at secondary schools. Having this planning security — knowing that our children’s education is fully financed for this year — is priceless. Many thanks to all our supporters!

We have already set up the 2027 fundraising campaign to secure this funding as well.

New Schools for Ngina, Njambi, Mwau, and Mutoko

A brand-new chapter has begun for Ngina and Njambi. The two have moved from Kivingoni Primary School to Plains of Hope School, where they are now starting Junior Secondary. On the first day of school, the excitement (and nerves) were so high that they would have preferred to drive straight back home with Meshack. I am very excited to hear their stories when they return to Maua Villa for their first midterm break.

There was also a big change for Mwau and Mutoko. Both have successfully completed Junior Secondary and are now attending Senior Secondary School (grades 10 to 12). Mwau is studying at Machakos School and Mutoko at Makueni Boys High School. These are both “National Schools,” which have a very high academic standard and select their students from across the country. We are particularly proud of Mutoko, who completed his Junior certificate as the third-best student in his entire year.

The Maua Villa Family is Growing

While the older kids are stepping on the gas at school and spending a lot of time at boarding houses, our daily life at Maua Villa has changed due to two new residents. In September, we received an urgent call for help from the Children’s Department regarding a family with five children living in very precarious conditions with their grandmother. The situation was concerning because there were times when there was nothing to eat for days and the children’s care was not organized.

In mid-February, Peter (8) and Isaac (3) were placed with us by court order. The new state “Transition Policy” stipulates that such placements should be temporary. In this case, the court set a period of three years, during which efforts will be made to stabilize the family of origin enough to make reintegration possible.

It is touching to observe how wonderfully the other children look after their new “siblings.” Little Isaac is carried around and fed by the big kids, and Peter was already jumping happily across the property on his first day. As soon as he has settled in with us at Maua Villa, Peter will attend school for the very first time.

Concern for Brian

Amidst the bustle surrounding our two newcomers, there was unfortunately a moment of great concern. Brian has not been doing well lately. What began for the eleven-year-old with ear and throat pain developed into a painful mouth infection and a high fever. His condition continued to worsen until he eventually had to be admitted to the hospital in Matuu. Since the antibiotics didn’t work as hoped initially and Brian was waking up crying in pain despite painkillers, he was transferred to a specialized clinic with a pediatric ward two hours away. I was extremely relieved about this, as some of the medical advice we received previously was quite questionable.

At the hospital in Machakos, Brian and Meshack met competent doctors who were fortunately able to stabilize his condition. Although eating and drinking are still painful for him, the wounds are slowly healing and he can speak again. We hope very much that he can be back with us at Maua Villa healthy and happy very soon.

Green Energy from Biogas and a Fresh Coat of Paint

When Brian returns from the hospital in the coming days, he will hardly recognize Maua Villa, because painting has been going on here at full speed. The girls’ house was replastered from the inside to make it more secure against scorpions and snakes. While we were at it, it also got a fresh coat of paint. The boys’ house is also shining in new splendor. This is particularly noticeable in the kitchen: the years of soot from cooking with firewood have disappeared. The kitchen now glows in a soft sage green and looks so much brighter and cleaner.

The fresh green fits perfectly with our Green Cooking Initiative. Our own biogas plant has been in operation since mid-January. This means cooking with firewood is history. This results in less smoke and soot, which is a huge win for the health of our team. Furthermore, we are now independent of fluctuating wood prices and have valuable organic fertilizer for our farm as a byproduct. Almost too perfect to be true: just in time for the commissioning of the plant, one of our cows had a calf, which is now contributing to the gas production.

Confidence Through Self-Defense

During the Christmas holidays, we also held a three-day self-defense course at Maua Villa. Because violence unfortunately occurs repeatedly within the community, we feel it is important that the children learn to set boundaries and better assess dangers. The children had great fun with the exercises and can now feel safer and stronger. They have already asked if there will be a repeat session.

Speaking of Christmas holidays, here is a short clip and review of the Christmas party hosted by the Governor of Machakos (Wavinya Ndeti). The video shows our kids asking the governor to dance at the party in front of the State House and dancing together. Click here to watch the video on Youtube.

To conclude, I would like to say a huge thank you to our Pamoja Friends. On Steffi’s initiative, your amazing donations in kind found their long way to Kenya. Thanks to her initiative, seven suitcases full of high-quality treasures arrived at our doorstep. From new shoes and school backpacks to sportswear and cosmetics, everything was included. We are simply grateful for this wonderful gift and the appreciation behind it.

If you feel like it, please stop by our new LinkedIn page , which we are currently building up. We would be delighted if you followed us there or shared our posts within your network. Together, we can ensure that even more people hear about Maua Villa.

Warm greetings from Maua Villa,
Yours, Anja, with the great support of Heike & Jochen