Our motivation
“Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt. 22:39)
Our motto
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Mt. 25:35-36)
About us
From top to bottom: Jacques - Julia - Marta - Juan - Jonas
Jacques Sarya (Cameroon):
Jacques grew up in Cameroon and lives in Germany at the moment, where he studied political science. He’s married to Julia. He loves children and likes being around people.
Julia Sarya (Germany):
Julia was born in Russia and grew up in the eastern part of Germany. Now, she lives in Germany with her husband Jacques. She studied occupational therapy and works with children and old people. She loves to be with children and to learn from them.
Marta (Hoyo) Du Pond (Mexico/France):
Marta grew up in Mexico and currently lives in Aachen with her husband Juan and their son Joel. She studies pedagogy at the RWTH University in Aachen.
Juan Du Pond (Mexico/Spain)
Juan grew up in Mexico and is an architect. He is married to Marta and is currently living in Aachen.
Jonas Winterhalder (Germany):
Jonas grew up in southern Germany and is presently living in Aachen studying English and maths.
How it started
Since Jacques was a child his dream was to become a Diplomat and build Orphanages for children. He was used to being around many children and knew about their needs since his parents had adopted eight kids.
It was only many years later (in 2005) when the idea of helping became more concrete. Jacques had studied Political Science in Aachen (Germany) for four years and could finally visit his family, together with Julia, his fiancée, for the first time since he had left home.
That same year, some weeks after their wedding, Marta and Jonas visited them in Cameroon so they could get a first hand experience of the culture and the people, and also meet Jacques’ family. Marta and Jonas suggested the idea of building the orphanage in Djalingo, a small village near his mother’s hometown Meiganga. The clear need of people and the good relationship between Jacques and the chief of Djalingo made this village the perfect starting place.
Beginning July 2006, they met regularly in Aachen to plan and pray for the project. The team expanded that same year with Juan, who later married Marta.
After doing some research on orphans and orphanages and talking to people who had had experience working in Africa the vision started to expand and it became more clear. They saw that the idea of an orphanage wasn’t actually the best way to help. They realized it would be much better to support families who take care of orphans.
After a few more visits to Djalingo, the vision broadened. They realized that it is not only the children who are in dire need but that whole communities were practically uneducated, malnourished, plagued with infections and very under-privileged. Just at the same time, it also came to their knowledge that refugees from neighbouring countries (Chad and Central African Republic) were flocking into the area and living in very dismal conditions. Right there they decided that although the project was mainly for children, they were also going to be involved in community empowerment programmes with the main focus on the support of socially weak and under-privileged families.
Since then, the team has been working vigorously to see this dream of bringing hope and laughter to the less privileged become a reality.
In 2008 Mount Carmel e.V. (NGO) was officially founded together with their friends Martin and Beate Strösser.