History – Outlook – More Information
History
They had planned to establish a children’s village and manage it from Germany. However, everything turned out differently. It did not take long until Gudrun realised that she would need more time to go through the required bureaucratic procedures and handle all the paperwork. Towards the end of 1999, she phoned her son Marcel to tell him that she would stay in Africa with his brother and sister for an unknown period of time.
“This was quite a shock for me,” says Marcel Dürr who then was in the middle of his training to become an automotive sales management assistant. Today, he knows that it is possible to work together over a distance of thousands of kilometres if you put your heart and soul into this work.
Overcoming many obstacles, the Nice View Trust Foundation was established in Kenya and together with numerous helpers the mission began.
On this occasion, we would like to thank all sponsors, supporters, donators, members, visitors, and friends of the Nice View projects! Asante Sana! You contribute(d) to making the Nice View projects an important lifeline that offers many people in and around Msambweni a safe future perspective.
So far, 70 orphans have found a home in the Nice View Children’s Village. The project also includes a kindergarten and school, the Nice View Gratitude Academy, offering valuable education to more than 200 children whose families cannot afford school fees. With the Nice View Day Care the first day care centre in Msambweni was created. On the site, there is also a farm to amend the supply of food as well as a workshop where people can qualify and work as carpenters and a tailor’s shop.
Later on, the Nice View Medical Centre was built in the heart of Msambweni, one of Kenya’s poorest regions. Many people can’t afford medical treatment and die of diseases that could have been cured at relatively low cost – a sad reality that happens every day in Africa. With the Nice View Medical Centre, the poor get access to vital medical care.
Outlook & More Information
The first children who came to Nice View in the year 2000 have grown up. They go their own way, some have even graduated from university. The seeds sown more than 20 years ago are beginning to bear fruit. Two examples are Mwanasha and Haji.
Everyone is welcome to visit the projects of the Nice View Trust Foundation in Msambweni on the Southcoast of Kenya. Gudrun and/or Denise Dürr will be happy to show guests around. Msambweni offers several accommodations. If you are looking for a place to stay, feel free to ask the “Kenyans from Swabia”. We recommend the Paradise Garden with its scenic views of the Indian Ocean.
In an African developing country, it can be quite difficult to keep projects up and running over several decades. The humid, salty air is a daily challenge that keeps our maintenance crew busy. Some objects that are easily available and can be used for many years in Europe, are hard to find in Africa and degrade quickly. Power outages and instable supply significantly reduce the durability of important equipment. Vehicles get damaged due to bad roads and need frequent repair. In addition, we cannot expect the German reliability and punctuality we have grown up with because Kenya moves at a different pace. Not to mention the corruption in the country that does not make things easier. The founders of the children’s village have come to terms with unchangeable realities, integrated themselves in the Kenyan society over the years and never lost sight of their aims to create and enhance sustainable projects in the region.
Local presence is essential and therefore, it was the right decision for Gudrun to stay on site and guide the Nice View projects in word and deed.
After many years of development and construction, the main task is now to protect what has been created, to keep an overview over the comprehensive Nice View project and to provide individual support and training to each child in a safe, family-like environment. Combining compassion, trust, intuition and a good portion of respect, the focus will continue to lie on empowering as many needy people as possible and to give them a chance for a better life.
The association Projekt Schwarz-Weiß e.V. as well as the members and volunteers of the Nice View Trust Foundation thank all sponsors, supporters and those who intend to join! Without you, Nice View would not be what it is today: a good perspective for many people. Asante Sana!
An African proverb says: “One head alone cannot carry a roof.” Thank you for your continued support.