Poldi is 10 years old, and her favourite game is Ludo. When she plays with other children, she always chooses the yellow pieces because that’s her favourite colour. And she says she’s more likely to win with yellow. “I like winning,” she says, “but sometimes you lose”. That’s life. “Poldi”, as she is nicknamed, doesn’t let that bother her.

This is not Leopoldina’s first visit to Friedensdorf (Peace Village). The charity flew her to Germany for the first time back in May 2007 as part of its 40th aid mission for Angola. On that occasion she was suffering from an inflammation of the bone (osteomyelitis) in her right arm that could not be treated in her home country and had already made her arm quite stiff. Together with about 70 other children, she was brought to Germany for medical assistance and – like all the other children – had to leave her parents and siblings behind. Even if Poldi now knows that she’ll soon be going home after her treatment and that her family will be looking forward to seeing her again, she is sad to be away from them.

Poldi knows exactly what she wants: to see her family again as soon as possible, back in Angola, in their home province of Bié. Angola is in southwestern Africa and Poldi is now in Europe – in Germany – in the Ruhr – in Oberhausen – at Friedensdorf – in the learning centre. This centre is a little bit like a school, but only really a little bit, and undoubtedly very different to Poldi’s school back home.

Poldi seems to have found a good way of dealing with the situation of being so far from home. She of course speaks German now. At 10 years of age and on her third trip abroad, Poldi is already a seasoned traveller. So she knows how the smaller children must be feeling after being brought to a far-off country called Germany without mae and pae, only able to communicate by rudimentary gestures for “hungry”, “thirsty”, “hurts” and “need a wee”. Poldi is able to become their mouthpiece. She interprets for them and helps to look after the children on the long flight and while they are becoming acclimatised at the village.

When she arrived for her latest visit, she said her arm was already a lot better. It was now time to remove the metal plate that had been inserted in late 2009 to stabilise it and help the bones grow back more strongly after being weakened by the inflammation. She isn’t frightened about the operation. She already knows what she is in the hospital for.

Poldi’s confidence has been well-founded. The metal plate was successfully removed a few weeks ago and she has taken the ensuing course of physiotherapy all in her stride. An excellent role-model and an example to the smaller children. The harder you try, the quicker you get better and the sooner you’ll be flying home to be reunited with parents, brothers, sisters and friends waiting longingly to see you again.

Poldi has proved it, because at the start of November she flew home as part of the 49th Angola aid mission, accompanied by a few of “her” little protégés from Friedensdorf. When the time came to say goodbye, Poldi beamed and waved – like any ordinary girl would. But then, she’s an extraordinary ordinary girl.