Another African Adventure

The whole world has been holding its breath under lockdown and lockout for more than 7 months, but the real victims of this pandemic are our children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

In Tanzania, although schools and public buildings were also closed for weeks, there may have been no lockdown, but there was a lot of insecurity and fear that kept families and children away from clinical care and hospital services.

In rural areas, education about protective measures was poor, with most families unaware of COVID-19 and how to protect themselves. For the first time this year, the Haydom team came together with CCBRT / Moshi and Haydom-Friends e.V. to organize this years first follow up week and continence training week. About 50 children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and their parents travelled far to attend this week's activities at Haydom. Haydom-Friends e.V. founder Dr. Theresa crossed the borders to support her team in Haydom and to bring supplies and good spirit. Once again, in view of the increasing number of affected children, it became clear how important and urgent it is to build a local center, a house of hope for Haydoms kids and families with Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus. In addition to medical care, the topic of mobility was the main focus. Many children came with their wheelchairs, all of which had suffered from the lack of repairs. Some of the wheelchairs had to be replaced. CCBRT Moshi and Haydom-Friends took over the sponsorship. But even more important than the new wheelchair is the training of the children in how to use it. For the first time Haydom organized a mobility course, put up wooden ramps and obstacles the kids had a lot of fun crossing those. There was some real wheelchair skater talents awakened. A wheelchair basketball team was even formed, and people proved themselves in throwing some baskets. The new House of Hope will have its own wheelchair-accessible playground and a basketball court. Mobility and the ability to play are at least as important for the children as medical care. The children learn to cross boundaries through play and to assess their own limits. Parents learn how to play with their children. Even if COVID has so far put our building project into a deep sleep, it is now time to wake up and mobilize all of you so that we can reach our donation goal and the foundation walls can be built. The team is currently looking for a suitable plot of land.

Those who donate here secure themselves a place in the front row for the first game of the Haydom kids basketball team on the new grounds of the House of Hope.
With your donation, you ensure continuous medical care and a hopeful future in which children and their families do not have to walk alone.

One click – a donation – a smile and a thank you in return!