In 2009, I had the opportunity to fulfil a dream I’ve had for a long time. Friends of mine asked me if I would like to join them on a trip to Mpanshya for four weeks. I agreed, and in July my daughter Gina and I travelled to Mpanshya for the first time.
Unfortunately, we were not able to help in the administrative are of the hospital since the electricity was down. Instead, we helped doing other jobs like painting walls or transporting building materials. During this time, I got to know the region and its people. Gina and our friends’ two children visited the children’s ward of the hospital every day and played with the young patients. We also started our first project: the construction of a mortuary.
When it was time to say goodbye, I knew that I couldn’t just leave the village without staying in touch and lending support to some of the projects. Sister Josepha, one of the nuns living in the village, gave me information about sponsorships for children which I could pass onto family and friends. I quickly found fifty families and individuals who were willing to support a child. The number has now grown to 175.
In 2012, Gina and I were fortunate to be able to return to Mpanshya and see with own eyes how the village has developed since our first visit. This is thanks to the relentless efforts of Dr. Matthias and Dr. Kathrin Furrer, medical directors of the hospital, and also to the hard work of the nuns and other people living in Mypanshya.
And yet, there is still so much more to do….
