Due to the mild climate, African courtyards are open-air homes and a significant part of the daily life of the population. One of the most beautiful courtyards in Songea is certainly that of the St. Anthony Orphanage. This large area, surrounded by ground-level buildings of the orphanage, is intersected by dirt paths and framed by green areas where we grow vegetables and various herbs. However, everyday life in the subtropical climate is filled with a large amount of dust in the dry season, which blows up from the paths and enters all the rooms of the orphanage. In the rainy season, when it heavily rains every day, the paths turn into sticky mud.

This made life in the orphanage quite challenging for us. The bedrooms, dining room, and other rooms were always full of dust or mud, and the floors had to be cleaned several times a day. We are very happy because this year we managed to pave the yard of the orphanage. Now, the house and yard are much tidier; there is no more dusty soil and all-day cleaning but children play and joyfully jump on the pavement instead.