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Dear members, dear friends, and supporters of Mabuhay!
August was marked by extensive repair work. Wind, sun, rain, and salt make these repairs necessary. In the new building, the tiles were blowing up because air had formed underneath them, then the roofs had to be painted, a window wasn't sealed, etc. We persevered to avoid even higher costs. The weather here is a real problem, and the quality of the building materials and supplies can't be compared to our German products. Sometimes it's really frustrating when you think you're finished, and then something else happens.
A friend from Germany, Karl-Heinz K.-H., who lives here, is our new volunteer and helps us with many jobs, and also beautifies our garden. Without him, we would have been lost many times.
On August 17th, Dr. Klaus de C. from the German Dentists' Aid Organization (HDZ) revisited us. He gave our volunteers a refresher course in fluoride prophylaxis and motivated them once again to take on this vital task. We now have more than 200 children in the program.
This program is unique in the Philippines. In addition to fluoride application, it also includes the administration of fluoridated salt, which we import from Germany because it is not available here. Water samples from several locations in Bugko have shown that the groundwater here is completely free of fluoride, so until now, the only source of fluoride has been toothpaste, if used.
This time, the volunteers were also introduced to the use of the scaler for tooth cleaning. Here, tooth cleaning is performed exclusively by the dentist, not by a dental assistant, as in Germany. Thanks to the training, we are no longer solely dependent on the dentist and can also perform tooth cleaning independently.
The volunteers were only too happy to participate in the seminar and promised to implement the program even more intensively.
This year, our annual outing with our volunteers took us to Sorsogon in Bicol on September 23rd and 24th. The Bulusan volcano feeds hot springs. The resort has three natural pools, and everyone had a great time. We had to take the ferry, and for the first time, we also took the volunteers' children with us, so they didn't have to spend much time looking for babysitters.
On October 24, Kristina Hilger-Schoofs, our association's auditor, and Brigitte Meckelholt revisited us. They wanted to see what had grown here in the past two years and how the clinic is running. I think they were amazed, because the "Mabuhay Clinic" has grown so much. They were once again able to gain valuable insight into our programs and learn more about the lives of the people in Samar. With the Klaus family, friends from Switzerland, they visited, among other places, the high school in Mondragon, where we work once a week. The Klaus family happened to be here at the same time, and we had many wonderful experiences together.
Until November 15th, we, along with many of our friends, members, and acquaintances, participated in the "DiBaDu and Your Association" campaign. Almost 20,000 associations had registered. Ing Diba wanted to donate €1,000 to the 1,000 most voted non-profit associations based in Germany. We didn't make it into the top 1,000, but we finished in 1,692nd place and received 1,916 votes for our association, "Mabuhay-Hilfe zum Leben." I think this is an excellent result, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in this campaign and voted for us.
And more great news. The four young ladies pictured below (from left to right: Nia H., Ann-Sophie P., Nele F., Sophia L.) from Wurmlingen and Nele from Tuttlingen are supporting our project here in Bugko through Younicef (Younicef is looking for young people in Germany to work to ensure that children and young people around the world benefit from UNICEF's most basic needs: medical care, adequate nutrition, clean drinking water, and education). They launched this initiative themselves and are tirelessly collecting medical supplies, equipment, and consumables, as well as donations for us. I think their commitment is truly amazing, and I wanted to briefly tell you about this young commitment.
At the end of this year, I would like to thank you all once again, also on behalf of all Bugkoano, because without the many helping hands and financial support, it would not be possible to carry out and maintain such a program here.
With best wishes for a happy Advent season and a blessed Christmas, I am yours,
Sabine Korth
Malipayon nga Pasko (Merry Christmas) from Bugko!
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