Ever since I returned to Germany from Tanzania in September 2023, I kept wondering when I’d get on a plane back to Tanzania again, hoping that day wouldn’t be too far away. In Germany, very little reminded me of my life in Tanzania, and almost no one could really relate to the depth of the experiences I had during my voluntary year. The other (former) volunteers were also no longer nearby, and so my return to Germany was bumpy and heavy-hearted. Most of the time, I felt quite alone. Time passed, I started studying, and slowly but surely, I felt like I had found my place and what felt right for me. I had also, by then, emotionally wrapped up my time as a volunteer. But every time I looked at pictures from that year, or when former volunteers traveled back to Tanzania, I felt a deep longing.

So I was especially excited when I found out I’d need to do an internship during the spring semester break of 2025 – and that I could organize it myself, even abroad. My very first thought: Tanzania. I quickly decided to reach out to Mbigili. This way, I could see everyone again – the children, the mamas, and all the other staff – while also gaining new insights through an internship with the two social workers at the village. My previous residence and work permits were still valid, and it all felt like the perfect opportunity. After a few final phone calls, it was settled, and I finally booked my flight.

When I drove down the familiar road to the village at the end of 2024, it slowly hit me: I would be home in Mbigili again – for two whole months. Now, those two months of my internship have come to an end, and so is my time in Tanzania. I was able to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and we celebrated being together again. The children are just as cheerful and full of humor as I remembered, and they are so well looked after by the volunteers and the housemamas.

It’s been a new, exciting, and very valuable experience for me to see and understand how social work functions in Tanzania. Professionally, social work here is still a relatively young field, but within communities – especially in the villages – there are long-established and reliable support systems based on family, neighbors, and the church or faith in general. I had heard stories about this, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes: how people look out for one another. I was able to join for home visits as well as visits to schools and hospitals.

A huge enrichment has also been the HBC program (Home Based Care), which is funded and enabled through the children’s village. It allows children to attend school and, where needed, ensures basic support like food. Unfortunately, in Tanzania, far more people are in need of support than what is covered by government funding. The children’s village and the HBC program help to fill that gap in the fragile social welfare system. And that’s why I’m so grateful that the many children living in Mbigili are being cared for.

Alongside my office work and external visits, I was lucky enough to also have time in between to play with the children, help them with their homework, and talk with the mamas. A few things have changed since my volunteer year: there’s now a small washing house behind the kitchen, the children have grown (some of them have even learned to talk), and a few new staff members have joined. It was lovely to meet the many new children who have joined the village since then and to see that they already feel just as comfortable and at home here.

All in all, the Mbigili Children’s Village is still just as I remembered it – welcoming, peaceful, and a true home. Thankfully, I haven’t had to say goodbye quite yet. Before heading back to Germany in early April, I’ll be returning from my travels in Iringa to the village one more time – and then it will be time to truly say “Kwaheri” (farewell). But even now I’m already wondering when the next joyful day will come, when I’ll once again find myself on the road back to Mbigili, full of anticipation.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of this and for helping to preserve and shape this special place.

Lotta Bruck