Aktive Direkt Hilfe e.V.

During our yearly visit to Europe we were able to see or phone our friends and relatives as well as raise support and look for new sponsors. Right after our return we received our first visitors from there: Andreas, a good longtime friend and supporter, and his son Marco. It was a big blessing to have them here and we’re looking forward to receiving more visitors from Europe to give better understanding and more insight into our work and Africa. Andreas said he didn’t just want to come and see Congo, but also learn from this personal experience. At the end of his visit after seeing the many difficulties we face here on a daily basis there were three virtues standing out which can be learned here: patience, faith and staying positive when things go wrong.

In order to make more progress with the orphans and to offer them a better future, we felt led to put a new goal in front of us. The first step is their daily food and thus better resistance against sicknesses. Next we would like to also give them basic schooling so they have a better chance in their life when they grow up. So now we are looking for new sponsors for this purpose, again with 10 Euros per child per month. This amount would be for a second sponsorship of the same children to pay for their schooling. If you want to help with that or try to win others for this cause we would appreciate it very much.

The agricultural project is making slow progress and also needs more help. The first little pineapple-fruits are coming and we are planting avocado, banana, mango and other fruit trees. If we will be able to get a grant for a school-building in Mokali and we have a guard on the field we would like to also start breeding fish. Until we have the building which will also serve to prepare food for the orphans instead of giving them their food packages, we are looking into finding the best local schools for the amount we have available.  

The 13 year old Land Rover which Paula in Italy donated helped us to make a big step forward. But with the arduous sandy and muddy roads and the many potholes on our way to the outskirts of town when we see the orphans the car feels the wear and tear. So when it is in repair we desperately need another car and with now 11 people on the team we need it anyway.

In the long run we are looking for the right local people who one day can take over our work here. At our bible study we are not just passing on important values for life, but we are trying to see who we can trust with these big responsibilities. Character, integrity, willingness to work etc, are all things we put high emphasis on. We already do have some candidates, but they also need support as some of them have so little that they can barely afford transport to visit us.

Here is still a personal request: we are all working as fulltime volunteers living the whole year around in Congo. This means we are not paid like in the UN, Red Cross, a church or some other organization, but need to raise support for our running expenses. We are very thankful for some of our old-time friends, relatives etc who have been helping us towards this over the years which will also help our projects in the end. Now with the team and our work growing our running expenses will also rise.

We’d like to use this opportunity to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who supports our work here as without you we couldn’t do the job. You carry a big load and share in the rewards of what we are able to get done here. Everyone plays an important part in the big puzzle. We know that we have to sweat it out here, but we are also aware that for some of you 10 Euros a month is a big sacrifice and we do not take it for granted, we really appreciate your help! Thank you also for telling others about our projects. You can tell them that we are living right on the field fulltime and make sure that the active help goes directly where it’s supposed to go.