Two cases with great satisfaction. One where luck was on our side!

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accident, car, charity, Children, donation, Education, kids, one world, Rwanda, scholarship, sponsorship, visit

English summary of Mr Mauermanns article of July, 3, 2016

In the weeks since Dietmar’s return to Rwanda he has begun his first student visitations outside of Kigali.
Since the beginning of the school year and the securing of new foster parents,Theogene is underway with secondary school.This is after his 2 year absence, because of a lack of funds for books, materials and uniforms. At 14, in 2015, he had to end his primary school attendance. Eventhough with this extended absence, he qualified for continuation at the secondary level. His mother doesn’t have money enough for a place to live. However by doing housework and field labor, she gets a place to sleep.

Dietmar met Theogene and his mother in January 2015 in their village of Bugesera. Impoverished is the simplest description of the two. Susan had made the introduction. The youngster showed no sign of joy of aliveness. Dietmar was immediately moved to do what he could to secure OWG support. Later in the month, the foster parent partnership was confirmed. He attended the College of Bon Pasteur in Kinazi/Ruhango in the South Province. Unfortunately it was impossible for Dietmar to visit him in February, but was committed to visit him at the next available opportunity.

On June 30 Dietmar and Susan drove to Kinazi to visit Theogene. It was a long and difficult drive over all sorts of horrific and unimaginable road conditions, because Theogene’s school in Kinazi is not on a main road.
Our Theogene was completely changed. He stood proud wearing his school uniform and exuded confidence. He was thrilled by their visitation. He had much to tell and communicated enthusiastically, in sign language, with Susan. He had blossomed and radiated personal vibrance. He had fully engaged in his studies.

It was a great feeling of satisfaction for Dietmar to realize the success of Theogene and that his life and education was going so well. His case was so difficult. His mother had no permanant living arrangement and could offer nothing other than accompaniment to her deaf son. The educational process had given Theogene exposure to a world of possibilities, to which he would have never otherwise experienced. In the village from which he came, he could only sit and observe, from his silent world, the environment of hopeless poverty which surrounded him. Now, he has been given his first glimpses of a bright future.

The next objective was to visit the Gatagara Orthopedic Clinic and to meet with the Director of Placement for the School for the Handicapped in Gatagara. They discussed the rehabilition history of Clemence‘. It was mutually agreed that she could continue her studies and re-enroll in the third level class.

That particular day of visitations had ended successfully.
The next day however, the car had a mechanical problem. The right front spring broke, which in turn damaged the shock absorber and in turn ruined the tire.
The good news was that this happened in front of a gas station. $72 and three hours later they were back on the road again. The next necessity is to get new tires for the front.

The good news around the auto problem was that it did not happen on the way to a visitation, at highway speeds or way out in a remote rural area.
Our team of Dietmar and Susan report that they are happy together in life and task!

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Back in service and the arduous journey to get there

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Bildungspatenschafts-Programm, charity, Children, donation, Dritte Welt, Eine Welt, Hürde, hurdle, Information, Kinder, one world, Ruanda, Rwanda, support

English summary of Mr Mauermanns article of June, 25, 2016

It has been several weeks since Dietmar’s last OWG blog update with information on the current situation, the standing of the Rwandan project and the educational support progress of the impoverished children and youth.
Dietmar returned to Rwanda on May 11 and will most likely stay until the begining of March 2017. His continual challenge as a foreigner had been the permitted length of stay. This problem has now been solved. On May 23 he and Susan M. were married and with their marriage came the necessary visa. The necessary official registration is now underway, so he is confident in having his passport and visa in hand very soon.

Here is an overview of some of his hurdles he had to surmount since his last writing:
At the very end of his last ‚tour of duty,‘ he was informed that he could no longer receive a visa for more than a 30 stay. The OWG partner organization CREDA, because of a registration technicality, was still not officially recognized as a duly registered Rwandan NGO. Dietmar’s previous extended visa had been in connection with CREDA’s having it’s NGO status. Since January, he and Susan had decided to marry and to submit their required documentation. Unfortunately, their paperwork moved too slowly through the bureaucratic process and nothing with their marriage had transpired before his last return to Germany.
However, before Dietmar’s departure, the situation got even worse. On February 23, the night before his flight, the landlord stood before the door and utterly expelled them from the house and set them and their belongings on the street. Dietmar had previously promised Susan that they would leisurely find another living quarter upon his return. With a very limited budget it is quite difficult to find a living quarter with bath and kitchen. If money had not been an issue, he would have moved previously. Dietmar’s retirement income, at best, is the equivalent of a middle class Rwandan income. On the early morning of his departure, they packed everything and secured a safe storage for belongings and car. Under these conditions, Dietmar flew back to Germany. Over the following two days, Susan took care of loose ends at the house, which they were forced to leave, and she was even hasseled by the police to hurry up. This was completely illegal because in Rwanda a renter has 15 days to clear the premises. Interestingly and additionally to his punctual rental payments, over his last three years at that location he had personally improved the efficiency and value of the property. This event reinforced his opinion that irrespective to where one in the world might be a renter, the landlords are all driven by the quest for more money.
Under these worrisome conditions and with a sick feeling in his gut, his Susan was left alone to cope with the severity of their many circumstances.
With 4,500 miles between them, they stayed in contact and out of his deep concern, he advised her to put these people and experience behind her as quickly as possible and to get on with moving forward in life.
She found impoverished accomodations with relatives, where she lived with 5 other women and 3 babies. In the next 4 weeks, Susan continued her studies, took examinations and sought out affordable housing for she and Dietmar.
Dietmar reports that his time in Germany was spent mostly in an ungrounded, depressive, dazed state of mind. It was difficult for him to comprehend the circumstances under which he had left his home of three years and his beloved wife to be. He dealt with the symtoms of a chronic nervous stomach, worry over the future of the OWG program, sleepless nights accompanied nightmares about Susan’s ability to handle the problems which had suddenly been thrust upon her.
After 4 weeks Susan found a small apartment. This elevated Dietmars spirits about his OWG project continuation and their life together. He realized that their marriage must take place immediately after his return. The two organized their documentation from two distant continents. There is always the strong possibility that the bureaucracy can lightly say that this or that document or authorization is still missing.
His 11 weeks in Germany did have a positive effect of renewal for him. He spent lots of time in nature, walking his dog along the River Rhine. The absence from Rwanda did, in fact, have a regenerative effect.
The Senior Expert Service (SES) did call and request a short commitment from him. He accepted their offer and gave his expertise to the central office. This was a positive and uplifting experience for him.
On May 11 he was received at the Kigali Airport with flower bouquets from his Susan and Agnes M., the „Izere Mubyeyi“ school administrator. They went immediately to their new living quarters, which happened to be next to the airport runway. Dietmar reports that he is now able to identify the planes, whether it is day or night, by the rush of their engines.

The apartment is very small and surrounded by a wall. It has the close feeling of an isolated cell within a prison complex. What is most difficult is that the availability of running water is undependable and most often not functioning. They depend mostly on those who transport canisters, on heavily laden bicycles, for their water supply. Needles to say, the hygiene circumstances there are compromised.
However, it appears they have a better living arrangement on the horizon.
(Note: meanwhile they moved to another home which provides a more convenient living standard – see picture below)

Susan had submitted all of the necessary documentation for their marriage. Additionally she had set the wedding date for May 23. She had done all the arrangements before Dietmar’s return. They were officially married on that date. Along with their marital bliss, Dietmar got a new lease on his life. The relief of their having overcome so many difficulties together, he reports, gave him a new youthful feeling and a zest for their life together and an enthusiasm for his OWG tasks which lay ahead. Dietmar is so proud of his beloved Susan and to have her lovingly at his side!
What is important for the foster parents and supporters to know, through all of this chaos, is that the children’s educational program continues to be secure. Additionally, Dietmar is continuing to get into a trusting and contractual partnership with a bonafied Rwandan NGO, which will play a dominate role. And during this evolutionary process, our on location manager Dietmar Mauermann, remains steady in his commitment to the precise management of the One World Group foster program.

Source: Dietmar Mauermanns report – Translation: Randell K. Anderson