Current status
The official opening took place on 21 September 2022. We bought a cow at the market the evening before for the communal meal. A celebration was planned for the children, employees and construction workers. On the day itself, we were honoured with many visitors from the village, the social welfare office and even the High Commissioner. Speeches were given, contacts were made and there is even an interview with Moody, our coordinator on site, on the official government website. As we are the first orphanage to be built according to the new rules, we are regarded as a “model orphanage” in the region.
Since opening, we have already welcomed many visitors. Be it tourists who find their way to us or the local population who support orphanages. Time and again, soldiers, women and families from the surrounding area come to us and bring goods in kind. This helps us to keep food costs down. We are happy about every visit!
We now have 26 children, 19 boys and 7 girls, aged between 2.5 and 14, living at the orphanage.
What does the daily routine look like?
The children start their day at 6.00 a.m., walk to school at around 6.45 a.m. and arrive there around 30 minutes later. The older children also have to go to school in the afternoon, while the younger ones return home at around noon. Then they first hop in the shower before coming in for lunch. Because of all the sand dust on the way to school, the children usually shower once a day in normal circumstances. That’s why we do the same at the House of Happiness. Afterwards, they go to their rooms for a nap without grumbling. At 4.30 p.m., things get lively again and the children come in for their afternoon snack. Afterwards they play, do their homework or go to religious education (twice a week). Dinner is served at 7.00 pm so that the children have time to play again before they fall into bed at 8.30 pm.
What else happens at the orphanage?
We received a visit from the fire brigade. They inspected the buildings and told us how many fire extinguishers, fire alarms and fire blankets we need to purchase. Of course, we did this straight away.
Our employees spend a lot of time washing clothes by hand. For this reason, we decided to buy a washing machine to reduce the workload – a luxury item! When we connected up the machine, the plumber showed us how we could collect the waste water from the washing machine and showers as well as the washing-up water in a tank and treat it for watering our garden. The concept convinced us and we will now implement it. It makes particular sense in this dry region.
Joy and sorrow lie close together. We are delighted to see how the children feel at home with us and how they are developing. The shock and sadness was all the greater when our 9-year-old Prisca died in hospital in September 2023 after falling ill – on the very day I arrived. The visit was therefore overshadowed by the organisation of the funeral, the mourning and the funeral service. It was also a big shock for the children, but they were all very brave and were well supported and comforted by our staff and the priest.
At the moment, 9-year-old Ibrahim is the child we are worried about. He suffers from hereditary sickle cell disease. He has already had to spend several days in hospital and has already undergone several operations. We sincerely hope that he recovers quickly and regains his strength.
It has been raining an unusual amount since November. Many roads have been affected and over 60 people in Tanzania have died as a result of the storm. Our access road was also affected. When I visited in November, no cars were able to drive to our orphanage. We were forced to repair the road as quickly as possible, even though it is not our private road. But without this access road, we have no way of getting water and the rainwater alone is not enough for several weeks and months of use for flushing toilets, showers, etc.
The registration took almost a year, but we are grateful to finally have the official document in our hands! The Social Welfare Office is constantly setting new rules and we are facing new challenges…. But we are convinced that we will master these too!
What are we doing in Switzerland?
In addition to presentations at churches, communities and service clubs, we also took part in markets. In 2023, we were represented at seven markets and sold Tanzanian handicrafts, home-baked House of Happiness Änisbrötli and were able to raise awareness of our organisation at the same time. The personal contacts and the proceeds have encouraged us to take part in various markets again this year.
Now it is important to secure the operation of the orphanage in the long term. We therefore continue to rely on your financial and numerous support. We are looking forward to every single donation.
Construction project
A plot of around 4’600 m2 was purchased in Kisongo (District Arumeru in Arusha, Tanzania). The orphanage «House of Happiness» is now being built there. After a three-month stay by our President, we have already received all the necessary permits.
The final expansion envisages four buildings:
- Main building with dining/lounge and kitchen.
- A hostel with dormitories and sanitary facilities for 32 girls and accommodation for the caregiver.
- A hostel with dormitories and sanitary facilities for 32 boys and accommodation for the caregiver.
- An outbuilding with an office for the social workers and a study room for the children.
As required by the authorities, the site will be fenced off and guarded by a porter once operations begin. In addition, the plot offers enough green space to build a playground, run a vegetable garden and keep chickens.
In the «House of Happiness» the girls and boys should experience loving care and education and attend the local school. The care is provided 24 hours a day by a «house mum» as well as state-approved social workers.
The idea of the project came up together with Mohamed Kassim Seramka (“Moody”), our coordinator on the spot. He (and partly his family) supports us with all the work on site. Only the great – voluntary and unpaid – commitment of the Seramka family made it possible for us to realize our heart project. Moody has led the discussions with the authorities as well as established the contact with our staff. Even after the opening, Moody oversees the day-to-day operations, ensuring that the «House of Happiness» is run in our best interest. In addition, our president Nicole Di Venere is on site between two and four times a year and can see the current situation and development for herself.
The orphanage «House of Happiness», when complete, will offer 64 children a home, which in turn means that the costs for construction, equipment and maintenance will amount to approximately USD 350’000.
The property is within walking distance to the state school. Furthermore, there are various training opportunities and a university in the city centre.