Muraho (Hello) to Hamburg,

I have now been in Kigali and the surrounding area for 8 weeks and have to say: A dream!!!!!!

Everything worked out. The family was very pleasant and helpful. Despite the challenging tasks, they supported me very sensitively and gave me time to settle in. It was good that they had just moved from Hanoi to Kigali shortly before me. So we all had to get involved with new things, gather new experiences, make new contacts. I was immediately involved and so the connection with the children (3 and 8 years old) was quickly established. After a week, one can say that trust prevailed. My respect for the family, they did that very well, after all I was the first Granny.

During the few weeks I was also allowed to get a taste of the normal everyday life of the locals. I went to the most famous market here with the gardener (luckily), together with Jackie, the young and inquisitive housekeeper, we did small cooking classes, my English teacher Angelique told me a lot about the hard life. She was alone with 5 children, refugees from the Congo. Chapot !

The friendliness of the people is staggering, but you have to approach them and put yourself at eye level. One should always keep recent history in mind. The UN and the EU have not covered themselves with glory.

Oh, I could write so much more .... Because it was simply great and eventful and I still had so many plans.

Murabeho

Marion

A sunny MURAHO (Kinyarwanda, one of the 4 national languages) to Hamburg,

After a good 3 weeks I finally want to report how great everything is here.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous before leaving. Central Africa was a big unknown for me, with lots of question marks. The family allayed some concerns beforehand, but still, I was totally excited. But it didn't help, I had agreed to go, so we started as planned. By the way, I am the first Granny in Kigali ;)), right?

Arrived here and after 3 weeks of experience, all concerns were dispelled. The family was really helpful and understanding as it took a few days of acclimatisation. I was just amazed. It is quite simply a different world from what I have known so far.

There was no pressure and everything came together calmly. The tasks are similar and manageable, just like in the other countries. I was warmly welcomed into the family and things are going very well with the children (boys, 3 and 8 years old).

The biggest challenge for me was getting into THIS traffic. At first it was a shock to see how it is on the streets, but you "feel your way in". Actually, there is only one rule: everything flows, however, go, go go! In fact, everyone drives considerately even if it doesn't look like it. In the meantime, it's even fun and now I even dare to get on the "motocycles" during my excursions. Even for having to jump over my shadow now and then, I do this wonderful job.

This weekend we will go on our first excursion and have rented a room in a great resort outside Kigali. And if the opportunity arises, I would like to do some more trips in this wonderful country. But first we have some tasks ahead of us, e.g. moving within Kigali, designing a garden and so on. It will not be boring.

MURABEO, Ni byiza, (Bye, it's going well)

Best regards

Marion

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Dear Mrs Hansen, dear Grannyaupair Team,

I had a wonderful time with the family in Tyrol. I am now home for 2 months and will visit this family again in October and stay a little longer. I am looking forward to the quite small boys that I am looking after there, it is an enrichment for me every day to experience how the children develop and we have a lot of fun and joy together. Besides, mum also needs a lot of support in everyday life as a single parent of such small children. We get along very well and the small animal zoo consisting of 3 cats and two dogs works very well.

Again and again I am asked by strangers what I do. Everyone is enthusiastic about your project Granny-Aupair and I recommend your website wherever I can.

At the end of the month, a good friend of mine from Gifhorn will take part in your workshop; I have infected her!

Now I am looking forward to my time at home and soon to Kiel, where my 5 grandchildren live. They are already longing and so am I.

I wish you a wonderful summer time.

Kind regards

Eva

Dear Mrs Hansen,

...I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that I will be flying to Egypt from 11.08-26.08.2022 - the Egyptian family has invited me to their beach house. I will be in Cairo from October to speak German with the family's 5-year-old daughter - the girl is due to start school at the German school in Cairo in February 2023.
At the moment, the plan is for me to stay in Cairo until then (and learn Arabic if not too difficult ). A longer visa for this
period for Egypt is the next challenge.

Other plans: 3 months stay in USA (Conneticut) with a single mother of a 3 year old son.
After that: Visiting a sympathetic lady in the Eifel who is looking for a companion for health reasons.
Further contacts for 2023 have been initiated.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your team once again for the great idea of this platform and its implementation - not least, you are making a valuable contribution to the understanding of different nations and cultures!

Kind regards from Forchheim,
Karin