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Dear members, dear friends, and supporters of Mabuhay!
On September 29th, Sister Veronica and I returned from Germany. Work began the very next day, and over 80 patients arrived. During our absence, construction of our new multi-purpose building had already begun. It started on August 29th, and the first pillars were already in place upon our arrival. This major project is once again being made possible by the German Dentists' Aid Organization under the direction of Dr. Winter. Over the past few months, I've repeatedly reported that our patient numbers are increasing rapidly and that we need more space. The new building will have two dental treatment rooms, a pharmacy—the good news is, after a long time, we've found a pharmacist—a cafeteria for our waiting patients, a water station with clean drinking water for the residents of Bugko, and guest rooms. The Rotary Club funded the installation of a drinking water system, so everyone here will have access to clean drinking water. Work progressed well from day one, and when you hold this letter in your hands, you will see the progress. What machines do in Germany is still often done by hand here. The workers accomplish unimaginable feats, come rain or shine, and every day you can see the building growing.
Thanks to a donation from the German European School in Manila, we were able to have new chairs made for the children at the local elementary school. The handover took place on October 1st. It's hard to imagine that not every child in this school even has a chair to sit on. When we took a tour, we saw that many of the children were either sitting on the floor or two children had to share a chair. Furthermore, the existing chairs were in terrible condition. The pictures prove it.
The awards ceremony took place at B. Braun in Melsungen on October 15th. We participated in the "What Touches Us" competition and won first prize, which was worth €7,000. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you who participated in the online voting. An independent jury ultimately made the decision, and we are pleased and grateful that our work has been independently recognized. We will use the winnings for our programs in Bugko.
On November 24th, local council member Roland R. revisited us with Angela W., also from the Steinen local council. Ms. W. experienced our daily clinic routine firsthand for an entire morning and was amazed by how many patients seek our help and by the various illnesses they suffer from. She is a nurse herself and was therefore a good judge of the situation. In the afternoon, we visited our children in the various groups of the nutrition program.
Thanks to your support, we were also able to complete a classroom at the elementary school. As reported in our last letter, Typhoon Glenda caused extensive damage here in Bugko, including to the school, and we lacked the resources because the school authorities are still focused on the area devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.
For the first Sunday of Advent, we hosted the seniors of Bugko. We organized group games, food, and music. Their joy was our joy, and it was a good idea, given the many things we've done for the children in Bugko in the past. They came in droves, and we hosted over 140 seniors. Many are single and have never experienced such a celebration before. The dancing continued into the evening hours.
The months have flown by, and once again we are at the end of a year. I want 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 provide and maintain so much diverse assistance here.
And so, with best wishes for a joyful Advent season and a blessed Christmas, yours,
Sabine Korth
Malipayon nga Pasko (Merry Christmas) from Bugko!
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