Katja Dienst and Annette Weber from Weinbach got to know the Fatima Centre in 1990 during a "work camp" organised by the Kolping Society. Very impressed and deeply touched by their experiences there, they organised the possibility of a return visit in 1992 with the support of the work camp group and financial support from the Kolping Society.  So Sr La Salette came to Germany with six young people and during a visit to the Elkenhof in Weinbach the idea or the wish arose to be able to produce sausage in the Fatima Center too.  At that time, the home already had its own pig farm and Sr La Salette knew that sausage was becoming more and more popular in the Philippines and if it were possible to produce home-made sausage according to the Weinbach recipe, this could be a good additional source of income for the children's home.

The idea of the first pony festival was born - in 1993 the first ponies ran for FACE, the first cakes and of course sausages were sold. The proceeds financed a three-month internship for two young men, Joey and Nappy, to learn how to make sausages. The two lived and worked with the Dienst family, learned sausage making with the Hölz family at the Elkenhof and also interned at the Mach butcher's shop. And so the story of the Ponyfest and the connection between Weinbach and the Fatima Center children's home took its course.

Joey came to Weinbach again in 2000 for three months to deepen his knowledge. The proceeds from further Pony Festivals were used to purchase necessary equipment, some of which was shipped to the Philippines. But not only equipment changed countries - more and more people from Weinbach and friends became curious, wanted to support and set out to get to know the Fatima Centre personally.  In the meantime, so many from the community and the surrounding area have been to the home and the support and commitment here on site is also unbroken (the 10th Pony Festival 2018 was again a huge success thanks to the many helpers), so that one can speak of a partnership that has grown, even if there is no official sign on the outskirts of town for it.

But what happened to the sausage? For a few years, production and sales were very successful.  However, the cold chain, hygiene conditions, maintenance of the equipment, etc. posed ever greater obstacles in the tropical climate and with the not infrequent power failures, e.g. due to typhoons, so that at some point production in larger quantities was no longer economical. Sausages are now rarely eaten at the home, but thanks to the money from the pony festivals, there are more permanent - typhoon-proof buildings in which the children can sleep and more teachers who offer the children education and thus better opportunities for the future.

The Fatima Centre continues to be visited regularly and there are always new interested travellers who report on the positive development and also on the worries and needs on site (in the regular information evenings with picture presentations).