ABOUT HELP FOR NTOMA

Waltraud Bertels, a former nurse and midwife in Germany, retired in 1999, only to continue her passion for helping and caring in a different way.  She packed her bags and two weeks after her retirement she ventured to Tanzania to work in a remote hospital under the most basic conditions.  While she was there, she was attending the birth of a baby where the mother sadly passed away. Together with a colleague Waltraud went to take the baby to an orphanage in the village of Ntoma.   She found the orphanage in disrepair, strapped for funds and close to being shut down.   When she finished her work at the rural hospital, she went back to Germany and started raising money to support the orphanage, eventually establishing a charitable foundation to secure the long-term support of the orphanage.  In the years since, Waltraud frequently traveled to Ntoma to work at the orphanage, to deliver equipment and supplies, and to identify where funds are most needed.  Many important projects have been completed and many orphaned children have moved from being taken care of at the orphanage all the way through completing high school, some even going to college.

In 2008 Waltraud’s niece followed her to Tanzania to work at the orphanage and upon her return to Germany she joined the work of the foundation and actively supports fundraising efforts and administrative functions.

In 2011 Waltraud’s son started to raise funds in the United States to support the great cause that has helped so many young lives in Ntoma and beyond.

All work that is done by Help for Ntoma to support the various projects is done on a complete volunteer basis.