Dear supporters of the Mbigili Children’s Village, dear friends,

Now that the long June holidays have come to an end, the children are back in school for the second half of the year, and there’s a lot of activity in the village again. The maize harvest has been completed, and the maize is now being processed so that it can be used throughout the coming year. Between the demanding and often long school days, there are always lovely Sunday activities that give the children a chance to relax and enjoy themselves. These range from movie nights with popcorn, to roasting bread on a stick, a waffle bakery, and hikes in the surrounding mountains.

One of the most popular activities is baking Mandazi, a typical Tanzanian pastry that is usually eaten for breakfast. You can find them in restaurants, at roadside stalls, and many women also sell them freshly baked from containers they carry on their heads. These small fried dough balls are made from yeast dough and sometimes refined with cardamom.

At the Children’s Village, we gather on a Sunday afternoon at the big kitchen and divide up the tasks so everyone has something to do. One of the housemothers from the Yellow House, who also bakes Mandazi at home on her days off, always helps us diligently. The dough is kneaded, the fire is lit to heat the frying oil, and the diamond-shaped Mandazi are cut out and placed one by one into the hot oil. The little children practice counting with the Mandazi to make sure that every child and every mama gets one in the evening. When the big pot of Mandazi is finally ready, the whole kitchen smells delicious and the children are full of anticipation for the evening. Because during the movie, everyone gets to enjoy the Mandazi together.

Among all the beautiful moments that the warm July days bring, there was sadly a recent death in the Children’s Village.

The wife of a farm worker has passed away and left behind a three-week-old baby girl.

Since the father cannot take on the care work alone, the baby has now moved into the Children’s Village and has found a beautiful new home in the Yellow House.

There, she will now grow up until she is old enough to perhaps one day return to her family.

We wish you a lovely summer and send warm greetings from the Children’s Village.

Jurena and Karla (the volunteers)