Johannesburg – Nata – Kasane – Livingstone – Choma, these are stations of a journey that have catapulted us into another world. Our visit to Patrick Mookeenah and Nosiku Kalonga, who, together with other people, brought the Mmabana Foundation to life, has made this possible.

Our welcome by the members of the MCOP was indescribable. They even slaughtered two chickens to honour us! During our stay we were able to participate in the Kids Club, Youth meeting, Outreach programs, workshops and more.

Patrick Mookeenah and Nosiku Kalonga implement the project of love by means of very modest resources. We also had unforgettable encounters with the other volunteers of the MCOP from Choma. Mama Rosa for example: anyone who has ever accompanied her on the way through the compound, as she helps the poorest and most vulnerable people in Choma, will never forget such an experience.

The Outreach Program has set itself the goal to help people who can not take care of themselves. The volunteers of the organization wash their dishes, buy groceries, and sweep their huts. They help the affected ones by taking over some of their tasks, such as requesting a wheelchair at the welfare office or finding a new accommodation if the home has become uninhabitable due to flooding.

The aim of the organisation is to help others to help themselves. Mmabana encourages people living in shacks, to take their destiny into their own hands. They become part of the organization.

An example of this is Belinda. She is 27 years old and has three sons (8, 6 and 4 years old), who are already used to taking care of themselves. By participating in Mmabana she has found the courage to tell her husband, who has mistreated her, to move out of the house. She is trained by Patrick Mookeenah to become a secretary. What is necessary for the annual report to the government? How does one apply for funding from the welfare office? Where can one complain against the unequal treatment at the municipal hospital?

When we visited the Mwapona Community School in Choma, I had the opportunity to get an insight into the formal curriculum. The math textbook for grade 6 is easily comparable with a math book in Bavaria and South Africa. The curriculum sets ambitious goals. Subjects are being taught in English from grade 1 onwards, but pupils of the 6^th grade still have difficulties understanding or speaking the language. With 60 pupils per class, many of them not even owning pencils or workbooks and often coming to school hungry, this is not feasible. Many children don’t understand English and have trouble counting and working with fractions.

But their commitment is impressive! They solved my homemade sudokus with great enthusiasm. Like all students in the world, they were proud to be able to prove to me what they can achieve and accomplish. I get frustrated when I think about how little effort the government puts in to recognise the existent conditions. The teachers can hardly survive on their salary; they must pay for their own training and are discouraged to practice any criticism.

Once a week in the afternoon, the volunteers tutor the children of MCOP, under the guidance of Nosiku Kalonga. Many children use this opportunity because they will be taught in small groups.

When the Chairperson of Mmabana - Sister Macrina - came to visit, we learned a lot about the differences between Mmabana and other organisations. For many years the Catholic nun serves as a contact person for development projects in Choma. And these are plentiful! One can often see their members driving around in their big 4x4s and one cannot help feeling that they have long since lost contact with the needy.

I get worried when I think about the project of love and that it could fall apart, if it fails to receive quick and effective funds to support Patrick and Nosiku.

I can only recommend everybody to visit Choma and the Mmabana organization. They will welcome you with open arms and a guest room will always be ready for visitors. I know that there are many organisations in Germany asking for donations and that it is not easy to orientate yourself in this jungle. It is often discouraging to hear of the many disasters in Africa, and thoughts like: “What can I possibly do?” arise. Anyone who has experienced first-hand how much hope the Mmabana Community Outreach Project gives to the people of Choma and the potential that can be seen in the young volunteers of Mmabana, will no longer have to ask this question.

When you hear the train pant and whistle through Choma, then it sounds as if to say: "Mmabana, keep going!"

Manuela Reinhardt, German teacher working in Johannesburg