Category: Lifestyle

Keep Rolling – Wheelchairkids on skates

Keep moving and leave your comfort zone, that is exactly the motto of our Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus week in Haydom this May.

We left our personal comfort zone and put ourselves and our wheelchair kids on downhill-wheeles. Together with the two skater professionals Daniel and Gilliard from Smallsteps Skatepark UsaRiver, Tansania, we organized the very first wheelchair skating course in Haydom.

The ramps and obstacles previously made in the village after expert advice from German wheelchair skating professional David Lebuser and sponsored by Haydom-Friends e.V. became the highlight of the week. The kids were provided with protective gear by Daniel and Gilliard from the Smallsteps Skatepark and a short time later they were skating over inclined ramps and curved wooden planes either sitting in their wheelchairs or beeing on the skateboards.

For most of the children this feeling of speed was a completely new experience and was greeted with great laughter and applause. The children playfully learned to control their wheelchairs and practiced their sense of balance while standing or sitting on the board. Not only the children had a lot of fun but also some of the parents turned out to be real ramp talents. The goal is to playfully take away fears and challenge the kids to leave their own comfort zone.

With the wonderful team of the smallsteps-skatepark in cooperation with Haydom-Friends more skatesessions will take place in Haydom in the future. The long term goal is to build an inclusive skatepark in Haydom, where the village kids as well as the wheelchair kids can let off steam, have fun together and show what they are capable of doing.

Wheelchair-Skating at Haydom Hospital

Finally back in Tansania, meeting up with those amazing guys from smallsteps skatepark UsaRiver. They really make a Change in the life of those kids here skating, giving them a home where they are loved and where they can unfold their Talents and spirits. So Glad and proud to be taking them to Haydom to meet our Wheelchair kids. Keep following us for more skating vibes coming up.

And obviously I was not able to resist to bring my own Surfskate to keep trying it in their skatepark. First Skatingpark Drop in ever of my life – and what to say after having defeated my brain, I have had the afternoon of a lifetime skating with those wonderful talented kids here in UsaRiver.

At the same time in Haydom our new obstacles for the short planned skating lesson are about to get finished. Now we need some good weather on Tuesday and some guardian angels to keep us all safe 🙂 🙂 🙂

Jerusalema Dance Challenge goes viral in Haydom

Recently the Jerusalema Dance-Challenge is going viral around the world. The dancing virus truly has spread among everybody in Haydom as well. Parents, staff and kids with spina bifida and hydrocephalus from Haydom are joining the worldwide Jerusalema dance challenge to raise awareness for more inclusion, better medical care and support for children with special needs in Africa. Having a child with spina bifida and hydrocephalus brings a lot of challenges every day. Participating in the worldwide dance challenge we want to encourage and give hope in these special times. Never stop trying, never stop loving and never stop believing in how much is possible when we all care together. We are nominating YOU to join the Jerusalema Dance Challenge and to support our work for kids with special needs in Africa.

Haydom Friends has been advocating for medical care and follow-up for children with birth defects in Tanzania, Africa, for more than 10 years now. Become part of a wonderful journey of helping, giving and getting back from our little heroes. Be Aware a smile can be contagious!

Chipsi Mayai – The most famous national dish of the Tanzanians, here quite simply to recook!

 

You need:

  • 10 large potatoes
  • frying oil
  • 5 large eggs

And this is how it goes:

Wash the potatoes before you peel them and cut them into slices. Dry them with a towel and fry them in hot frying oil. Wait until the potato wedges are crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Break the eggs and mix them with a fork. Place the potato wedges on a greased base and pour the eggs over them. Turn the “chipsi mayai” just before the egg is completely firm and fry them in a pan from the other side. When the pancake turns golden brown, you take it out of the pan. Fresh salad tastes very good with the Chipsi Mayai.