On Sunday 29 September 2019, we visited the brothers and sisters in the Hohenau New Congregation.
After a joint service followed by a cup of terere, we were invited to lunch at the home of Elder Aaron Giesbrecht.
Both before and after lunch, we were able to discuss the history of the congregation. As everything is new to us, such visits are very valuable for getting to know the congregations better.
As Maria and I are teachers, we were also interested in the situation at the school. So we had the opportunity to speak with the school’s headteacher, Orlando Hildebrand, in the afternoon. Here, too, we had a very in-depth conversation, during which we were able to discuss school life.
Afterwards, we drove through the colony, and Orlando explained and showed us everything. We also saw the ‘old community’, where the traditional Hohenauers gather. However, the tradition here is no longer as strong as in other old colonies, as cars are allowed to be driven here.
We were also able to view one of the Old Colony schools from the outside. The school consists of just one room where all year groups are taught. There is one teacher per school who teaches everything.
Life in the Hohenau Old Colony is difficult in two respects. As is customary in all old colonies, the people here have no electricity. They therefore use generators or solar panels to generate electricity. The further difficulty is that there is no groundwater here. Consequently, the months from June to October, when there is little rain, are particularly difficult for the people. In the months when it rains, the rainwater is collected in cisterns, which are then drawn upon during the dry season.
However, this year has been so dry that many families have already used up their water supplies and now have to fetch water from neighbouring settlements 15 to 35 km away.
Many of the tachamares (waterholes in the countryside for animals to drink from) are also already empty, meaning that some people are having to sell their livestock.
Report by Klaus H. Klaasen, photos by Maria Klaasen and Klaus H. Klaasen
