Continuation of
Back from Namibia
Providing food for children is important, but only one pillar of the organization's operations. Without adequate educational support from the outset, these children are immediately disadvantaged when they start school. For this reason, a toy library (a room with educational toys) has been set up in Okombahe. These two young, untrained women have received training and now have new courage and ideas for playing with and supporting the children. A Namibian association will soon be independently responsible for this toy library and the soup kitchen for the children. An application for the establishment of a charitable organization with a five-year plan is pending approval from the Ministry of Social Affairs in Windhoek.Through intensive discussions with the German embassy and with former students of mine who now work in responsible positions, I have new ideas for obtaining funding from other organizations for further projects in Namibia.
I was able to bring along missing documents for a major fence project around a primary school in Khomasdal, a suburb of Windhoek, as well as many letters and craft items from the two schools in Okombahe for the GMS Neuenstein and the upcoming Christmas markets in Öhringen and Neuenstein.
Many other things were initiated or completed, and many contacts were made for future tasks. The coming months will now reveal what works and what doesn't. But next spring, we'll be back there to talk with those responsible on site.
I was able to bring along missing documents for a major fence project around a primary school in Khomasdal, a suburb of Windhoek, as well as many letters and craft items from the two schools in Okombahe for the GMS Neuenstein and the upcoming Christmas markets in Öhringen and Neuenstein.
Many other things were initiated or completed, and many contacts were made for future tasks. The coming months will now reveal what works and what doesn't. But next spring, we'll be back there to talk with those responsible on site.
Continuation of
Summary of the club's activities in 2018
Many young people in Okombahe have nothing to eat during their lunch break on their three long school days, often going home and then skipping afternoon school. At the request of the school administration, a new soup kitchen was set up for these approximately 80 schoolchildren, where they now receive a balanced hot meal three times a week, in exchange for having to attend afternoon classes. The association's first soup kitchen, for approximately 80 toddler and primary school children, has been in operation for eight years, and this year the food is now significantly richer in vitamins. The association invested approximately €8,000 in the two soup kitchens this year.
This year, the association once again fully or partially financed the costs of student accommodation and school uniforms for approximately 60 children and young people. This year, a responsible Namibian volunteer was found for each of the five student accommodations to look after these girls and boys. This support cost a total of approximately €7,000.In addition to these larger and new projects, support continues for the children's church service, the health center, and the 20 parents of small children in the soup kitchen. These parents receive support with their monthly kindergarten fees, which enables them to send their children to kindergarten. Both kindergartens in Okombahe—one in the town center with the adjacent Toy Library and the other, "Learn in Peace," on the opposite side of the river—are doing excellent work with Okombahe's youngest children, despite their limited resources.
Many of you have contributed to supporting all of these projects and aid efforts through your donations, membership fees, your practical assistance with the association's activities throughout the year, and your prayers. The needy children, as well as the adults in Namibia, are grateful for this. With your continued support, the Namibia Support Association can continue these worthwhile projects in the coming year.