Singing, dancing, people in traditional clothing, dignitaries: on the morning of November 26, 2025, a colorful parade accompanied by drums and various groups of revelers made its way across the festival grounds of Nyabondo and through Nyabondo. Under the organizational leadership of Sr. Seraphine, head of the Kenyan office of DfA, the Kenyan teams had invited guests to the big anniversary celebration "25 Years of Dentists for Africa" in the village in western Kenya where it all began in 1999 and which is still the headquarters of the organization's Kenyan office today.
More than 1,000 guests attended: Archbishop Maurice Mukumba (Kisumu), Mother Superior Sister Mary Goretty of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph Asumbi, administrators of the DfA clinics, employees of the DfA dental stations, the widows of the St. Monica Village Cooperative, and several hundred sponsored children and alumni – including civil engineer Christophory Adiema and physician Dr. Novestus Kosgei.
When the program began, a circle of dancers formed in the middle of the square: local folklore groups, women from the widows' cooperative, and sponsored children from Koliech, who had traveled 60 kilometers to be there. Their dances and songs conveyed the hope and pride that has been built up over 25 years of working together. Everyone danced and celebrated together for many hours.
“I have never experienced such dynamism, joy, and depth all together,” recalls DfA founder Dr. Hans-Joachim Schinkel, who traveled to the anniversary celebration with his granddaughter Anna. During the Mass, led by Archbishop Mukumba, the importance of cooperation became particularly apparent. “Like everyone else present, he probably also realized the lasting impact we are having on the lives of the poorest – especially widows and orphans – together with our Kenyan partners, particularly the Franciscan Order.”
Between encounters and music, the catering teams of the widows’ cooperative professionally provided the guests with delicious, traditional food and had created an atmospheric setting with tables and white tents. “Our widows cooked perfectly for the numerous guests,” said Schinkel. He also delivered a message of greeting from the newly elected DfA board – as a sign of gratitude, appreciation, and a new beginning together.
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