Yearly Review 2020 – Under the Sign of the Pandemic
The year 2020 was a great challenge for all of us. This is true in our private and professional lives as well as in our voluntary work. The corona pandemic also had a significant impact on Weltherz’s work. We had to put our future project, the construction of a new orphanage, on hold and concentrate on the essentials.
Weltherz work: basic care and health
As every year since the foundation of our association, we support the Hope Home orphanage and children’s center in Boma Ng’ombe, Tanzania, first of all with basic supplies and, with the help of our numerous sponsors, donors, we ensure the rent, energy and water supply as well as food. Health has also been an essential part of our commitment from the very beginning. We took out health insurance policies for Sarah, Joseph and all the children at Hope Home, for which we will of course again pay the premiums due in 2020.
Especially in the course of the corona pandemic, the topic of health was once again to take on a very special significance. Suddenly, masks and disinfectants were also part of the “basic supply”. We took action early on and provided Sarah and Joseph with sufficient funds. This enabled them to provide themselves with everything needed in the new situation to ensure their and the children’s health in the best possible way.
Education: Home Schooling at Hope Home
Schooling is one of the most important pillars of the work of Weltherz e.V. Because good education gives the orphans of Hope Home the chance to grow into independent young people and to lead a self-determined life in the future. This is where our sponsorship program comes in, which includes a school sponsorship for each child in addition to a sponsorship for basic care.
We are very happy that we have sponsors for all children. Through this we were also able to enable some students to attend a private school in 2020, which guarantees a better education. Another part attends public schools and can transfer if they perform well. Like Meteli, for example, who passed Primary School with great success in 2020. Joel also had a reason to celebrate in 2020: he successfully completed Secondary School and is now starting an apprenticeship.
But the Corona situation also posed major challenges for the schools. The keyword was “home schooling,” just as it was for us. We at Weltherz therefore provided sufficient funds to create the best possible teaching conditions in the Hope Home as well, for example with a blackboard. Here it was again especially important for Sarah to support the children in the best possible way with their schoolwork, which was regularly sent via WhatsApp. In July, some normality finally returned and the children of the Hope Home were able to go back to regular classes.
Weltherz Future Project: Pandemic slows down new construction
It was the pandemic that completely slowed us down in our future project. Unfortunately, we could not start the new construction of the Hope Home orphanage and children’s center with an attached school in 2020 as planned. This is because health naturally came first in this special year. We now hope that the situation in Tanzania will continue to ease and are working together with Joseph to acquire local companies that will help us implement the planned new building. If you would like to become a part of Weltherz and support the project, you can sign up here for a project sponsorship in any amount and at any time. All donations will go directly into this new building project. As soon as we can travel safely again, we will also pay visits to the Hope Home again to better support Sarah and Joseph on site. We thank you for your support and hope that you will continue to be at our side with your World Heart.
