Fortsetzung     Entscheidungshilfe - Tageszentrum ?!

Nach den Wünschen von Augustinus und Yvonne soll das Tageszentrum selbst zwei Bedingungen erfüllen. Einerseits sollen dort ca. 30 bedürftige und vernachlässigte Kinder von den Erziehungsberechtigten registriert werden, um dann verpflichtend von mittags bis abends anwesend zu sein, Essen zu bekommen und schulisch und persönlich gefördert zu werden. Andererseits soll das Zentrum auch für junge Tagesbesucher offen sein, die dort für einen kleinen Unkostenbeitrag die Möglichkeiten (WLAN, Computer, Hausaufgabenbetreuung, Lernangebote und sportliche Aktivitäten, …) mitbenutzen dürfen. Die Leitung dieses größeren Tageszentrums kann nur von einer gutausgebildeten Person (Management und Pädagogik) übernommen werden, die auch im Tageszentrum wohnen soll.

Ich bin zuversichtlich, dass wir dieses Tageszentrum mit anderen Organisationen gemeinsam bauen können, aber die späteren laufenden Kosten für die Angestellten, für Wasser, Strom, Investitionen und Reparaturen werden wir nach unseren derzeitigen Möglichkeiten nur aufbringen, wenn wir andere Projekte (ca. 78 Jugendliche, die schulisch unterstützt werden, die zwei bisherigen Suppenküchen u.a.m.) zurückfahren oder aufgeben. 
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Continued Confirmands supporting other confirmands

Joachim Knoche, The chairman of the Namibia Support Association was able to spend five weeks in Namibia in November. At that time, Namibia was not considered a high-risk area for COVID-19, and after presenting a negative COVID-19 test, he was free to travel anywhere in the country. He thus arranged to spend a few days at the confirmation service in Okombahe.

On a Saturday in mid-November, all the confirmands and their families gathered at 10:00 a.m. in the 100-year-old Protestant church in the heart of Okombahe. The weather was hot, over 35°C, but a pleasant breeze wafted through the church with all the windows open, making it quite bearable. Pastor Andreas Nowaseb led the 35 confirmands—the girls dressed all in white and the boys in black—to their seats, and the congregation sang rousing hymns. Unfortunately, the power went out that day, so the pianist who had been specially hired couldn't accompany the hymns with his own electric piano. But the African voices, especially those of the young people, were captivating. After the liturgy and a detailed sermon in the Nama Damara language, the young people were confirmed in small groups. Each received their confirmation verse as a framed picture to hang on their wall. At the end of the official ceremony, Joachim Knoche conveyed greetings from the parish of Untersteinbach. He also emphasized that the confirmands from Untersteinbach, along with their parents, had raised enough money for those confirmands in Okombahe who are in need and have regularly attended the Sunday children's service in recent years to cover the confirmation fees for 14 of them. Children's service leader Yvonne and soup kitchen director Albertina had selected these 14 young people beforehand. He was able to show the congregation two large group photos of the Untersteinbach confirmands, one with masks and one with social distancing and without masks, and then hand them over to the pastor. The gratitude and joy were immense, and all the confirmed children who had been supported came forward to be photographed as a greeting to Untersteinbach. After the two-and-a-half-hour service, the families continued their celebrations at home.

The following Sunday, the confirmands celebrated their first communion together with their parents and relatives. After communion, a member of the congregation stood up and mentioned that he had seen many of the confirmands dancing at the disco the previous evening. He then encouraged them to dance for Jesus in church as well. During the next hymn, all the confirmands came forward and danced joyfully and with great emotion, this time accompanied by an electric piano. back