First Annual General Meeting in the old schoolhouse Pfedelbach-Oberhöfen on 18 March 2013
Christmas in Okombahe
Christmas markets everywhere, mulled wine, packing presents, preparations for Christmas, whether it's cold, dry, or wet... The Advent and Christmas season is very atmospheric here in Germany.
The children and adults at the Okombahe student residence were able to receive their Christmas present at the end of October. 76 new mattresses – purchased in Windhoek and transported to Okombahe by truck – were enthusiastically received at the student residence. Now the children sleep on real, soft foam mattresses. What a wonderful feeling!
You have contributed to this throughout the year with your donations, membership fees, or visits to the Beer Village in Pfedelbach. The children are delighted, and we on the Namibia Support Association committee extend our sincere thanks.
Christmas markets everywhere, mulled wine, packing presents, preparations for Christmas, whether it's cold, dry, or wet... The Advent and Christmas season is very atmospheric here in Germany.
And what is it like in Okombahe?
Schools have been closed since the beginning of December for the long "summer holidays." If people in Namibia are lucky, there will be a short rainy season, but the nights and especially the days will be hot.
Life in Okombahe is becoming quieter; the children from the boarding school are traveling to relatives or parents on remote farms or to the coast, where it's now warmer even in summer. Those who have the opportunity take advantage of the time to visit – until early January, when life returns to the towns and schools.The children and adults at the Okombahe student residence were able to receive their Christmas present at the end of October. 76 new mattresses – purchased in Windhoek and transported to Okombahe by truck – were enthusiastically received at the student residence. Now the children sleep on real, soft foam mattresses. What a wonderful feeling!
You have contributed to this throughout the year with your donations, membership fees, or visits to the Beer Village in Pfedelbach. The children are delighted, and we on the Namibia Support Association committee extend our sincere thanks.
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Lauwinja teaches street children
On our Namibia trip in August, the group also visited Opuwo. Salomon and Emely Tjakuapi, pastors of the Black Lutheran Church, live there. Opuwo is located in the northwest of the country and is the largest town in Kaokoland. The Himba people still live a very traditional life there.
However, with high hopes, many Himba people migrate from their original villages to the "big" city, only to find that their labor is no longer needed. Many proud Himba people now live in slum-like suburbs and become even more impoverished.
Tjakuapis are trying to help in this poverty. Kindergartens and small primary schools are being established in the original villages so that the population finds a reason to stay in their villages longer.
The Tjakuapis have also set up a small school for street children next to their rectory for several years. Lauwinja, an unemployed high school graduate from Ovamboland, teaches about 15 children there the basics of writing and arithmetic. For her work, she receives free food and lodging in the rectory, as well as a monthly salary of approximately €40. We have seen with our own eyes that these children are ready to attend a regular school after two to three years.
On our Namibia trip in August, the group also visited Opuwo. Salomon and Emely Tjakuapi, pastors of the Black Lutheran Church, live there. Opuwo is located in the northwest of the country and is the largest town in Kaokoland. The Himba people still live a very traditional life there.
However, with high hopes, many Himba people migrate from their original villages to the "big" city, only to find that their labor is no longer needed. Many proud Himba people now live in slum-like suburbs and become even more impoverished.
Tjakuapis are trying to help in this poverty. Kindergartens and small primary schools are being established in the original villages so that the population finds a reason to stay in their villages longer.
The Tjakuapis have also set up a small school for street children next to their rectory for several years. Lauwinja, an unemployed high school graduate from Ovamboland, teaches about 15 children there the basics of writing and arithmetic. For her work, she receives free food and lodging in the rectory, as well as a monthly salary of approximately €40. We have seen with our own eyes that these children are ready to attend a regular school after two to three years.
The Namibia Support Association is now paying for Lauwinja’s work as a teacher for six months.
Unneeded trombone choir instruments?
This August, a small group of travelers from our support association spent three weeks in Namibia. Among other places, we visited Khorixas, a small town that most tourists only see as a gas station, supermarket or ATM.
We were invited by the local Black Lutheran church congregation. Pastor Hendricks The local trombone choir welcomed us. It consists of ten "instruments" and many people who can play or are currently learning three times a week. The ten players were very enthusiastic, and the mayor and district administrator of the Khorixas region also joined in. I was particularly impressed by the approximately 15 young people who also enjoyed playing, but were still beginners, sitting in the background, allowing the better players to step forward. Some of the instruments date back to 1960 and are therefore well used, but they still sound great!
This August, a small group of travelers from our support association spent three weeks in Namibia. Among other places, we visited Khorixas, a small town that most tourists only see as a gas station, supermarket or ATM.
We were invited by the local Black Lutheran church congregation. Pastor Hendricks The local trombone choir welcomed us. It consists of ten "instruments" and many people who can play or are currently learning three times a week. The ten players were very enthusiastic, and the mayor and district administrator of the Khorixas region also joined in. I was particularly impressed by the approximately 15 young people who also enjoyed playing, but were still beginners, sitting in the background, allowing the better players to step forward. Some of the instruments date back to 1960 and are therefore well used, but they still sound great!
A tuba would be their greatest wish, but it's something special. The instruments' frequent use is evident. The trombone choir gathers at church services, official ceremonies, and especially at funerals.
In Khorixas, the trombone choir is an active youth organization. When young people practice together three times a week, they are less exposed to the dangers of alcohol, boredom, and crime.
Since I learned during the trip that we had received a generous donation of €750 from a Pfedelbach company, we were able to spontaneously support the trombone work with two new instruments, music stands, lamps, instrument oil and hymn books.
In Khorixas, the trombone choir is an active youth organization. When young people practice together three times a week, they are less exposed to the dangers of alcohol, boredom, and crime.
Since I learned during the trip that we had received a generous donation of €750 from a Pfedelbach company, we were able to spontaneously support the trombone work with two new instruments, music stands, lamps, instrument oil and hymn books.
We'll be visiting the church in Khorixas again next year over Easter. We'll see how the brass band has developed.If any of you have any instruments left over that are no longer needed for youth work in Khorixas, please feel free to contact the association.
We will then take these instruments directly to Khorixas next spring.
THANKS
They were with us at the Beer Village at the Namibia Support Association!
Have you drunk Windhoek Lager, Dju-Dju Beer, or a Rock Shandy? Have you tried the delicious Namibian sausage "Boerewors" with homemade bread or the corn porridge "Miliepap" with spicy sauce?
If YES, you have supported the needy Black population in Namibia. Thanks to you, we made a profit of approximately 700 euros. This entire profit, along with a few other donations, goes directly to Okombahe. There, 76 children in the student dormitory are delighted to have new mattresses, as most of them are now sleeping only on the floor or on the iron grate.
Thank you for your food and drinks!
They were with us at the Beer Village at the Namibia Support Association!
Have you drunk Windhoek Lager, Dju-Dju Beer, or a Rock Shandy? Have you tried the delicious Namibian sausage "Boerewors" with homemade bread or the corn porridge "Miliepap" with spicy sauce?
If YES, you have supported the needy Black population in Namibia. Thanks to you, we made a profit of approximately 700 euros. This entire profit, along with a few other donations, goes directly to Okombahe. There, 76 children in the student dormitory are delighted to have new mattresses, as most of them are now sleeping only on the floor or on the iron grate.
Thank you for your food and drinks!
IInformation afternoon in Untersteinbach, 14 April 2013
After introducing itself in Pfedelbach in January, the newly founded association now also made its public appearance in Untersteinbach. The Untersteinbach Brass Choir hosted the event in the Protestant Community Center and provided musical accompaniment. The country of Namibia was first presented with a slide show. This allowed interested listeners to form their own impressions of this distant country in southwest Africa. The association's chairman, Joachim Knoche, and his wife Margret, then reported on their experiences during their eight years in Namibia and on numerous trips there.
By supporting the Black community, especially sick, orphaned children and young people without job prospects, the association aims to alleviate their suffering. To this end, specific projects are planned, which will be examined in more detail during a three-week trip in August (participants are still welcome to register).
First information afternoon of the Namibia Association
from 27.1.2013
Around 50 interested people attended an informational afternoon organized by the newly founded Namibia Support Association at the Protestant Community Center in Pfedelbach. A slide show began by introducing the country with its impressive landscapes, diverse wildlife, individual tribes, and, for us Germans, a not-always-glorious history (the Herero uprising). Afterwards, Stefan Jakob sang three sensitive songs, the lyrics of which spoke of the hope for justice and gratitude. Interesting conversations ensued over coffee and cake in a cozy atmosphere. Afterwards, Joachim Knoche (the association's chairman) and his wife Margret shared their own experiences during their stay in Namibia from 1988 to 1996. Support is necessary because there is a lack of almost everything: food, clothing, childcare, and educational and medical facilities.
In the near future, the Namibia Support Association will be focusing its efforts on supporting the people of Okombahe, a town located approximately three hours' drive northwest of the capital, Windhoek. There, it supports a soup kitchen for small children, the student dormitory of the Black Lutheran Church, the health clinic, primarily by purchasing powdered milk for HIV-infected nursing mothers, and needy students at Martin Luther High School.
In addition, a Namibian aid organization for disadvantaged children and orphans and a private school in Windhoek for school dropouts are supported.
A three-week trip to Namibia is planned for August to get to know the country and some of its sights, but also to examine the problems of the black and white populations.
from 27.1.2013
Around 50 interested people attended an informational afternoon organized by the newly founded Namibia Support Association at the Protestant Community Center in Pfedelbach. A slide show began by introducing the country with its impressive landscapes, diverse wildlife, individual tribes, and, for us Germans, a not-always-glorious history (the Herero uprising). Afterwards, Stefan Jakob sang three sensitive songs, the lyrics of which spoke of the hope for justice and gratitude. Interesting conversations ensued over coffee and cake in a cozy atmosphere. Afterwards, Joachim Knoche (the association's chairman) and his wife Margret shared their own experiences during their stay in Namibia from 1988 to 1996. Support is necessary because there is a lack of almost everything: food, clothing, childcare, and educational and medical facilities.
In the near future, the Namibia Support Association will be focusing its efforts on supporting the people of Okombahe, a town located approximately three hours' drive northwest of the capital, Windhoek. There, it supports a soup kitchen for small children, the student dormitory of the Black Lutheran Church, the health clinic, primarily by purchasing powdered milk for HIV-infected nursing mothers, and needy students at Martin Luther High School.
In addition, a Namibian aid organization for disadvantaged children and orphans and a private school in Windhoek for school dropouts are supported.
A three-week trip to Namibia is planned for August to get to know the country and some of its sights, but also to examine the problems of the black and white populations.
