For a year now, a craftsman's house, where two trades can be practised, and our guest house have stood on the site that was previously a rubbish tip. The idea was that craftsmen and craftswomen would settle there and, in return for rent-free accommodation, take some of our older children under their wing and enable them to experience and participate in the world. Rita, the wife of our teacher and house father Ayala, occupied a workroom with her tailoring workshop a few months after the birth of her third son. Every afternoon two or three of our older girls sit there every afternoon, watch how Rita tailors, and try their first sewing steps by hand. The first thing they made was holiday dresses for our children.

At first, the second craft room remained empty. Nana Owusu, our manager, told me how difficult it is to find craftspeople who are willing to work with our young people. They fear a loss of salary. But then the so-called African coincidence happened: we met an old acquaintance of Nana Owusu, a shoemaker, on the clinic grounds. We got talking, the shoemaker showed interest, came to the centre a few days later and said yes! He is slightly physically disabled himself and has no problems working with our children. He moved in at the beginning of December.

Due to the huge cost of living explosion in Ghana, we had to significantly increase the salaries of all employees for 2025. First and foremost, I am grateful to the Friends of Waldorf Education, who support us and our small centre where necessary, simply as people, and who support the small project. Many thanks also to the pupils who collected donations as part of WOW-Day and to the school communities who help us a lot with donations from their bazaars!