Hello my dears, I hope you are well. I heard that spring is slowly arriving in Germany and that you are enjoying the sunshine.🤩
It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been in Tanzania for over six months. Time passes incredibly quickly, and my enthusiasm is still just as great as on the first day. I am grateful for the encounters, the people, the children at Angels Home, every language barrier, everybody and every moment that makes me marvel or laugh. I still go to bed almost every evening with a smile on my face, and that is simply wonderful.
My daily life has a steady routine, and yet there are almost daily moments that make me pause. I would say I have really settled into the culture and have experienced many beautiful things, but I have also encountered challenging situations. My Kiswahili has improved a lot. I manage everyday life very well, can even have deeper conversations now, and I notice every time how language opens doors. But still so many new words and so many things I can’t understand, especially when people are speaking very fast. Or how I say: „you are rapping again“😅
Over these six months I have also grown personally, gone beyond my own limits, and gone through a big learning process. At the same time, several months still lie ahead of me, which I am really looking forward to I am curious to see what else will happen. A few trips are still planned; otherwise I am doing it the Tanzanian way: SPONTANEOUSLY.
As you know, I was hardly in Rulenge in January because of family visits, a safari, and the mid term seminar. I spent almost the entire month of February here, which did me a lot of good. After being on the road for three weeks, I arrived back here and I was very happy to be back though. Another month which was very busy, but sometimes to be busy is just very nice.
Working with Caritas
The month began for me with a small change, as I did a two-week internship at Caritas. During this time, I got to know two teams: the Integrated Rural Family Development Programme, or IRFDP, and the Rulenge Community Based Rehabilitation Programme, RCBRP.
In the first week with the IRFDP team, we traveled to different villages in the Rulenge-Ngara district every day and visited families. The project supports 808 households in 24 village communities and helps them improve their living conditions in the long term through better agriculture, a more stable income, improved health, hygiene, and good nutrition.
Each day began with a two-hour meeting with the village community. What is already going well, and where is support still needed? After that, we went in small groups to the households. We looked at the fields, the animals, the houses, hygiene, and nutrition; everything that shapes the families’ daily lives. Using a questionnaire, we documented everything.
An example: A few months ago, Caritas donated rabbits to one household. By now, there are many, whose urine is used as fertilizer, making the fields more productive. This allowed the family to sell more, acquire new livestock, and improve their income.
Over the course of the week, it became increasingly clear to me how hard life can be here. Houses are on the verge of collapsing or get flooded during the rain. There are hardly any shower facilities, and no running water or electricity. Many people are completely dependent on their neighbors, who themselves often live about 15 minutes away. The week with the IRFDP team was very rewarding, but also sobering. It is important to get to know this part of the country, which often remains invisible otherwise. Because for me, I have never seen such a thing before.
In the second week, I worked with the RCBRP team. This program supports people with disabilities directly in their villages. Children receive encouragement, learn to walk, and get medicines, physiotherapy and aids such as crutches or wheelchairs. In addition, there is education about HIV and other diseases. The goal is to make Rulenge and the surrounding villages more inclusive and accessible.
From the very beginning, I was able to actively participate: we reviewed files, organized materials, and called the communities to find out where there was urgent need. From the beginning I was allowed to work with them. But i also faced some language struggles because many people in the villages are speaking Kishubi and this i can’t understand. Still busy with Kiswahili😅
Another nice thing were the visits to the hospital with Irene, the physiotherapist.
Also we met a man suffering from elephantiasis. His feet are swollen, very heavy, and painful, making walking almost impossible. Millions of people in Tanzania are affected by this disease. But unfortunately it’s very hard to treat.
During home visits, it became clear to me again how overwhelmed many families with a child with a disability are. Support services are often limited. All the more touching was seeing how much even small moments of attention can make a difference.
Through all the trips, I got to know the area around Rulenge much better. The landscape here is simply beautiful. Thanks to Caritas’s documentation, I was later able to get photos of the visits without having to use my phone during the home visits. This was very important to me, because I want to approach the families with respect and not reach for my phone first.
What made these two weeks special was the structure and discipline of the work, combined with the great dedication of the staff. The day began at 7:30 a.m. with a prayer together with all Caritas employees and ended at 3:30 p.m. In practice, however, we often didn’t return from the villages until 4 or 5 p.m. The intense days and good organization made the work very demanding, but also incredibly instructive.
These two weeks at Caritas were simply incredible. I experienced how strong, resilient, and joyful the people here are, and how much we can learn from each other when we interact openly and attentively. I am very grateful to the team for taking me everywhere and allowing me to learn so much. The work here is incredibly important and makes such a difference for the families on site. I was very happy to be able to see such a side of the country I am currently living in.
Angels Home
After my internship at Caritas, I returned to Angels Home. Although I had visited the children almost every day after work during those two weeks, it was nice to be fully with them again. My daily work routine has changed, as many of the children are now in school, and currently there are only eight children left in the orphanage. As a result, my tasks have decreased significantly, and with the support of the sisters and dadas, I am needed less than at the beginning.
Still, of course, I looked for activities and tasks to make the day great. Together, we built a drum and kept experimenting with the toys. I kept trying out new ways to play and noticed how quickly the children can get overwhelmed, but at the same time be incredibly grateful and full of joy.
I just have to teach them that the building blocks aren’t really meant to be thrown at my face 😂😂. Otherwise, things are going surprisingly well with the new activities. The colorful diapers are especially fun, bringing the children great joy as they run around the garden with them. It’s a wonderful enrichment for everyone.
Mwanza and Katoke Seminary Trip
During the mid term seminar in January, I had the opportunity to meet other volunteers. So, at the end of February, I visited Loana and Lennart in Mwanza. They live there and work in a hospital as well as in an NGO that supports mothers with sick children. It was exciting to get to know their lives, which in many ways are very different from mine here. The biggest difference is the environment. While it only takes them about 20 minutes to reach Tanzania’s second-largest city and have access to many things, like European food, large supermarkets, or well-known brands, I need around seven hours to get there.
The living situation is different as well. We live in a more European-styled house, while they live in a small house, often without electricity or running water, cooking over an open fire, and using a bucket to shower. For me, it was very enriching to see all of this up close. Loana also showed me many corners of the city that a regular tourist would probably never discover. We had a wonderful time and a very meaningful exchange.❤️
On the way back to Rulenge, I went again to the Katoke seminary, this time for three days. I was able to teach English again, the students had many questions, and I had great conversations with the teachers, who were very interested in life in Germany, the school system, and much more. The big differences became particularly clear to me there once again.
Three seminarians from Rulenge now also work there, and it was nice to see them again and spend time with them. For me, it was also a place to relax and completely switch off.
The trips themselves were, of course, full of adventure, but also a lot of fun. The bus rides are an experience in themselves😅 On the way back from the Katoke seminary, I rode back with my friend Rose, which made the ride even more fun.
What else was going on in Rulenge
Aside from work, there were so many wonderful moments in Rulenge again: evenings at the convent with the sisters which are always highlights.
I worked again with „Kivuko“ together and visited with Martine some households.
Cooking with my friends was also a lot of fun. We prepared pilau with meat, danced, I got new Bongo music and simply enjoyed our time together. In general, I spent a lot of time with my friends from, whether just meeting, talking, teaching a friend German😅, or spending afternoons and evenings at Barikiwa, where many of my friends work.
The time with the seminarians was also very nice. Together, we visited people in the hospital and then the children at Angels Home. It’s simply joyful to be out all together.
We also celebrated my mentor’s birthday together, which was a very fun evening. And there I found germany beer, that was very nice though😂
So, as always, a really wonderful month and completely different from all the previous ones. I can only repeat how incredibly happy I am here and how grateful I am for all these experiences.
For the past few days, I’ve been working at the hospital to get to know another workplace, and I think this is the best place I’ve ever experienced. Wow wow wow. I have no words how happy I am there. It’s a completely different kind of learning than I’ve known so far, the people around me are incredible, and the work enriches me immensely. I really love this place, and I want to learn, see and explore as much as I can. Luckily, I have the best supporter by my side.🙏
So much that it’s also influencing my study decisions after my volunteer year in a very different direction. But all about future, hospital work and what’s going on in March I’ll talk about it in the next blog post😉
Sooo, stay healthy, take care of yourselves, enjoy the beautiful weather, and feel hugged😘
Lots of love from now warm Rulenge ❤️
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