Besuch beim Patenkind – A visit to the foster child

Schlagwörter

Africa, Afrika, ausbildung, Besuch, Bildung, Bildungspatenschaft, Bildungspatenschafts-Programm, charity, Children, donation, Dritte Welt, Education, Eine Welt, Information, Kinder, nothilfe, one world, Patenschaft, Rwanda, scholarship, Spende, sponsorship, stipendium, support, visit

Mein sechswöchiges Volontariat in Ruanda am Krankenhaus in Kigali bot die willkommene Gelegenheit, unser Patenkind und deren Familie zu besuchen. Auf der Reise begleitete mich Laurette von der ruandischen Partnerorganisation. Diese stellte dankenswerter Weise auch ein Auto mit Fahrer.
Die Fahrt ging in den nordöstlichen Teil des Landes, schon in der Nähe der ugandischen Grenze. Für die etwa 150 km benötigten wir gut drei Stunden.
In dem kleinen Ort angekommen, lud uns die Mutter in ihr Haus ein. Oder besser gesagt in den einen Raum, der der Familie zur Verfügung steht. Dieser liegt in einem für unsere Verhältnisse sehr kleinem Haus, dass sich dennoch drei Familien teilen. Das Geld reicht nicht für mehr als die Miete eines Raumes, der über keinerlei Mobiliar verfügt. Licht gibt abends eine einzelne nackte Glühbirne, einen Wasseranschluss gibt es nicht.

Die Mutter freute sich sehr über den Besuch. Unser Patenkind war natürlich recht schüchtern, jedoch herrschte schnell große Begeisterung über einige Geschenke, die mitbrachte. Hauptsächlich Schulmaterialien. Bunte Filzstifte und die Federmappe waren augenscheinlich die Favoriten!

Dann erzählte uns die Mutter mehr von ihrer Situation. Von ihrem Mann verlassen, der auch keinerlei Hilfe leistet, ist sie trotz einer chronischen Krankheit auf sich gestellt, die Familie mit vier Mädchen von 2 Monaten bis 15 Jahren zu versorgen. Mehrfach gab sie daher Ausdruck für ihre Dankbarkeit für die Hilfe von ihren beiden Patenfamilien, die jeweils eine Tochter unterstützen.

Schliesslich zeigte sie uns noch ihrem Lebensmittel-Verkaufsstand am Markt. Mit einer Extrahilfe der Patenfamilien hat sie sich erfolgreich eine eigene bescheidene Existenz aufbauen können!
Damit ging der Besuch zu Ende, der für beide Seiten sehr bewegend war. Es ist gut zu sehen, dass für uns trotz allem relativ kleine Beiträge eine so große und sinnvolle Hilfe geben, dass sie die Existenz einer ganzen Familie absichern.
Das ist natürlich vor allem dem Einsatz und Mut der Mutter geschuldet.
Alle drei Töchter besuchen die Schule, somit ist die Voraussetzung für eine spätere Ausbildung gegeben, verbunden mit der Hoffnung auf eine bessere Zukunft.

St. S. (Pate)

My six-week internship in Rwanda at a hospital in Kigali provided a good opportunity to visit our foster child and her family. Laurette from the Rwandan partner organization accompanied me on the trip. Thankfully, this also presented a car with driver.
The trip went to the northeastern part of the country, already near the Ugandan border. For the approximately 150 km trip we needed about three hours.
After arrival in the small village, the mother invited us into her house. Or rather in the one room that is available to the family. This is in a very small house by our standards, but still share three families. The money is not enough for more than renting a room that has no furniture. Light gives a single naked bulb in the evening, there is no water connection.

The mother was very happy about the visit. Of course, our foster child was very shy, but there was a lot of excitement about some gifts that came with us. Mainly school materials. Colorful felt-tip pens and the pencil case were obviously the favorites!

Then the mother told us more about her situation. Abandoned by her husband, who even gives no support, she is on her own, despite a chronic illness, to look after the family with four girls from 2 months to 15 years old. Several times she expressed her gratitude for the help of her two sponsor families, each supporting a daughter.

Finally, she showed us her food stall on the market. With an extra help from the sponsor families, she has successfully built up her own modest existence!
This ended the visit, which was very moving for both sides. It is good to see that despite everything, relatively small contributions give so much and meaningful help that they ensure the existence of a whole family.
Of course, this is mainly due to the commitment and courage of the mother.
All three daughters attend the school, which is the prerequisite for a later education, combined with the hope for a better future.

St. S. (foster father)

[ Machine translation ]

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

Schlagwörter

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!