Dear supporters of the Mbigili Children’s Village,

While summer is just beginning in Germany, the dry season is approaching in Tanzania. Rainfall is decreasing, and temperatures are dropping, especially at night. This is partly due to the village’s high altitude of nearly 1,600 meters. Compared to previous years, the rainy season has brought significantly less precipitation, which directly impacts the harvest. Time and again, people share their deep concerns about the poor conditions for this year’s maize crops. Maize, in its various forms of preparation, remains one of the country’s staple foods.

At the same time, there have been some very joyful moments here in the village, both recently and in the near future. On Easter Sunday a few weeks ago, the children and staff took a trip to a campground with a large play area. The next school holidays are coming up in June. During that time, we’ll hold our biannual birthday celebration: All the children who had birthdays in the first six months of the year will celebrate together on one special day. Another birthday celebration takes place every December.

Currently, we volunteers are working on redesigning the creative room, which was originally set up by our predecessors last year. We’re now adapting it with new furniture and crafts to better meet the needs of the children and to give them the chance to leave their own creative mark in the space. In our daily routine, we use the creative room every morning with our kindergarten group, made up of the youngest children. In the afternoons, we use it for playtime or engage in creative activities, just as the name suggests.

Warm greetings from the Children’s Village,

Hannah and Alma