2024: A success story continues

Father Martin Rupprecht's Christmas letter 2024 about the work in Dar es Salaam

As he does every year, Father Martin has written a letter to the people who support his foundation. Here is the text:

This is one of the pictures that touches my heart. This year's graduates in Zanzibar, at the Machui Community College of the sister order ‘From the precious blood of Jesus’. All the young people come from the slums of Dar es Salaam. They have grown up in miserable conditions. They all suffered from hunger because their parents were unable to provide them with school meals. They had to endure from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

After secondary school, they were able to receive a scholarship for college from our learning centre, which gives them the opportunity to receive vocational training. The team, also in the picture, visited them every month and accompanied them. Two tough years. Now they have successfully graduated and have already got a job in a hotel.

This is the problem everywhere in Africa and at the same time the great opportunity: the governments are not (yet) able to provide all young people with suitable vocational training. But those who have been able to learn something are highly motivated, hard-working, and they excel.

Take Alphonce, standing on the far left in the photo. He went through the same struggles. I met him in 2014. He grew up in a miserable hut with no chance of an education. We were able to send him to college and university. In 2019, we began dreaming together of establishing a learning centre for all the children in the slum. Now, five years later, Alphonce runs this centre with a team of 20 employees and volunteers.

Personally, I hadn't planned to focus so much on Africa. But these young people asked and begged. The first activities started in 2020. In 2021, we rented a room in which 60 children were looked after. In 2022, we were recognised by the government. By 2023, the learning centre was providing some form of care for over 600 children. The main focus was on school meals for primary school children.

Over the course of the year, a very positive development occurred: thanks to petitions from several aid organisations, including ours, the government took over the school meals for the children in the poor neighbourhoods. What a wonderful step forward!

As a result, we are looking after fewer children in primary schools and instead focussing on vocational training. However, the costs of supporting the young people are significantly higher. 900 euros a year can pay for boarding school and vocational training (college) for a young person. In 2024, we had 36 college scholarship holders. For 2025, we plan to increase this number to 50.

In addition to the daily school support, we run monthly projects that combine implementing something practical with training for the young people. Alphonce provides a report with a comprehensive overview of these initiatives. You can also watch related videos on our website: www.ycb.global.

Two of our guiding principles are: Even if you are poor, you can make a difference: Plant a tree, sweep the street, read a book. The second motto: Give back what you have received. If you later find a job, then make a contribution so that the work can one day finance itself.

Dear supporters, in June/July 2025, the director Alphonce Leonard, accountant Magareth Mpupua, and Sister Betty Schao will visit Vienna and Bavaria. They will report on the miracle of this development. We warmly invite you to meet them and will share exact dates in due course. Additionally, Alphonce and Magareth will visit vocational schools, workshops, the volunteer fire brigade, and much more.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help, and I wish you a blessed Christmas!

Yours sincerely
Father Martin Rupprecht

→ Download the letter (PDF)

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