Annual Reports
The most rewarding moment of my recent visit to Mushapo was when I stood in front of the school one morning and all the children who attend our school free of charge were singing for us with their whole hearts some beautiful songs which Blandine taught them, as a sign of their appreciation. This one moment was worth all the troubles we had the last two years working on this project. And look at those parents (right), how proud they are standing behind their kids holding up their first report cards! After finishing the construction of the first school building made with bricks we are producing more bricks for the second building. Besides the construction work, one other important target is to get the school to stand on its own feet in the long run. Jos and I had several meetings with Jean, our manager of the farm, and we…
Nov
2012
120 Children Go to Our School
Within the last six months, we have had many ups and downs in our Congo project; a very intense time! Some of the ups were our third interview with Munich TV and the posting of a new video about our work in Mushapo on YouTube. On the down side, however, we received news that after the foundation of our school building was done, the farm closed due to all their troubles. It looked as though we would be unable to continue our project as they took everything away. There was no more electricity, water, internet, bed, table or chair. We were left alone in the bush and had to find solutions. Thank God for the miraculous and unexpected support of our dear friends, which encouraged us to continue without the farm’s help. Jean, the former foreman on the farm, was willing to work with us for half of his former…
May
2012
School Building for Mushapo
Die Vorbereitung für den Bau des Schulgebäudes läuft auf Hochtouren. Die Materialien werden eingekauft und nach Mushapo gebracht oder selbst hergestellt. Es haben sich zahlreiche Unterstützer im Kongo finden lassen die uns logistisch unterstützen oder auch Einrichtungsgegenstände für die Schule organisieren. Building a solid construction in the bush is no easy task. Ours will be the first one in this whole region – its foundation and pillars are to be built with cement and iron, and the walls with baked bricks. The lack of infrastructure there makes it difficult for us to break through the cycle of poverty and the many obstacles in the interior of the country. But we won’t let this discourage us. It takes patience and perseverance, and thank God for our friends who want to support us in our efforts. It’s like a big jigsaw puzzle with many small pieces, all of which are important in…