Post from Namibia (conclusion)

We, Margret and Joachim Knoche, are safely back in Pfedelbach after 2 ½ months.

What has been new for the club in the last 2 ½ months?

a)The volunteer about “weltwärts” in Okombahe

Together with the "Freundeskreis Afrika eV" our association is responsible for Gustav Rolka in the student residence in Okombahe. It was good that we were able to introduce Gustav to his work and accompany him over the last three weeks. Okombahe is already "hardcore" Africa and he is there alone - that is a special challenge for him. Now he will try to support the children and young people in the student residence over the next 10 months.

b)The new person responsible for the association’s work in Namibia

We have had the last 1 ½ months to train Magthe Hoeses in all of our projects. She is in the process of registering our German association in Namibia as an NGO. This involves a lot of effort and seven people, and the registration seems to be just as difficult as our experience with the Ministry of the Interior. It is good that Magthe lives in Omaruru, the place closest to Okombahe, where our project managers regularly go and can leave their purchase receipts with her. I hope that she settles in well and that she will significantly reduce the workload and support the association in Namibia.

c)Our privately purchased car in Namibia

As I wrote to you in the first post, Margret and I have bought a 6-year-old Nissan Bakkie, which we have driven a good 10,000km in the last few months. At the beginning, the question was what would happen to the car when we were back in Germany. As Magthe does not have her own car, but is supposed to regularly visit and accompany the projects in Okombahe, at the MLH and in Swakopmund, it made sense to give her the car. We have now put this in a contract. We are still responsible for everything, repairs, fully comprehensive insurance, etc. ... but the car will be driven and used and we will (hopefully) have the car back when we next come.

d)English lessons in the soup kitchen

In addition to feeding the 80 or so disadvantaged children in the Albertina soup kitchen, we also consider their intellectual development to be important. To this end, around 20 parents have already received a subsidy for kindergarten attendance, and we have also set up a toy library, a playroom with creative and stimulating games, and now there are English lessons for an age group in front of each soup kitchen. With a lot of patience, small books and singing, Alexia tries to teach the children English in a playful way. This is not easy and the children are very unfamiliar in this environment. We are now running it on a trial basis until our next visit and will then see whether it is going well or what we should change.

Invitation:

There is still a lot to tell or write, but this is not the place for it. If you would like to hear more about the last few months in Namibia, you are cordially invited to the old schoolhouse in Oberhöfen next Sunday, November 14th, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Coffee and cold drinks will be provided. We will meet under corona-compliant conditions.

Please register by phone (07949 940269).

Post from Namibia, 25-9-2021 Part C

Genocide – a topic in Khorixas

On our way to a safari in Damaraland, we stayed one night with members of the trombone choir in Khorixas. This is the fourth time we have stayed with Sebastian !Gobs and his family. Sebastian has been elected district administrator and is a member of the church trombone choir, which we support from time to time with instruments and accessories.

His father was also present at dinner (a hearty braai) in the garden, and I had a lively conversation with him. Themistokles Murorua is a member of the 72-member National Assembly, which is comparable to the Bundestag in Germany. The genocide of the Hereros and Namas from 1904-08 is a major concern for him. It is particularly important to him that a lot of good pastureland is still owned by the descendants of the former Germans. In return, Namibians should be given a corresponding amount of land in Germany today, or Germany should ensure that the land here is returned to the Hereros and Namas. My objection that most German-Namibians are not German citizens was new to him. Changes to the land issue cannot come from outside, but only from the National Assembly, of which he is a member, and the Namibian government. In addition, the state has a right of first refusal for every farm sale and can buy these farms back over time with the agreed money paid by Germany and hand them over to their Namibians. The newly negotiated agreement on payments between Germany and Namibia is very controversial here. I am excited to see how things will turn out when our President Walter Steinmeier comes to Namibia. He will have to answer many questions, such as "Why are Hereros and Namas treated differently than Jews when it comes to compensation?", but he has a lot of political experience and hopefully good advisors. In my long, open conversation in Khorixas, I learned a lot from Mr Murorua and he confirmed the same to the small gathering. We said goodbye with the mutual affirmation that international understanding grows from open, honest encounters.

As an aside: Sebastiano, Sebastian's 17-year-old son, is quite well-known and very popular as DJ Abux on YouTube. His music really impressed the younger crowd and our two German guests that evening. He seems to have already had 3.8 million clicks on YouTube. The evening ended just before closing time, before 10 p.m.

Post aus Namibia, Teil B

Namibia, 20-9-2021

Ausbildungsprogramm bei COSDEC

Zum ersten Male unterstützen wir als Verein dieses Jahr drei junge Männer bei einer ersten einfachen Ausbildung bei COSDEC in Swakopmund. Emil und Gerson waren auf der Martin-Luther-High-School und haben diese bis Klasse 11, bzw. 10 besucht. Der dritte, Riian, war in Okombahe im Waisenheim und hat die Dibasen-Schule wohl bis Klasse 9 besucht. Alle drei haben die Klassen nicht gut geschafft, und deshalb wollten wir ihnen ein Kurzausbildung als Einstieg in den Beruf ermöglichen.

Emil, der „Office Administration“ (Büroausbildung) macht, hat sich schon zweimal gemeldet und sich für den Kurs bedankt und ein Bild geschickt. Außerdem erwähnte er beim letzten Brief, wie dankbar die gesamte Familie sei, da unsere Verpflegungsunterstützung für ihn die gesamte arbeitslose Familie mit über Wasser hält.

Von Riian und Gerson hatte ich leider nichts gehört. So fuhren meine Frau und ich unangekündigt Montagfrüh zum Ausbildungszentrum bei COSTEC vorbei, um zu sehen, was vor Ort passiert. Dort werden Gerson und Riian als Mauerer ausgebildet. Was wir dort erfuhren war nicht so positiv. Gerson war am Montag, eine Woche zu spät zum ersten Male wieder anwesend, Riian war nicht anwesend, war aber wohl letzte Woche zweimal da. Außerdem hatte Gerson keine Arbeitskleidung, sie sei ihm gestohlen worden. Zusammen mit seinem Lehrer, Adolf Huneb, sprach ich sehr deutlich, aber doch liebevoll, mit ihm, dass es so nicht geht. Dieses Jahr ist seine Chance, er müsse selbstverantwortlich werden, denn nach dem Jahr ist er als Erwachsener auf sich alleine gestellt. Er solle mir bis morgen auch etwas schreiben und mit Riian Kontakt aufnehmen. Am nächsten Tag (Dienstag) werden wir wiederkommen und weiterreden.   Fortsetzung

Namibia Calendar 2022

DThis year, the Namibia Support Association is publishing its own Namibia calendar for the first time, with interesting pictures from Okombahe and with nature and landscape pictures. You can see the cover photo here. The other pages will surprise you!

For 10.- € (plus shipping costs) This calendar shows (A4 landscape format) Snapshots and people from our projects and is an ideal Christmas present for yourself or for your friends and relatives. By purchasing the calendar, for example, a child can eat in one of the two soup kitchens for more than a month.

You can access the calendar via this homepage at Contact , via email ( Calendar order_Namibia@web.de ) or by phone ( 0160-6637561 ) order.

Namibia is shocked!

Notes from Namibia from 19.06.2021

In the last few days I have received many worried and frightened WhatsApp messages from friends and acquaintances in Namibia. Since the beginning of June, the number of new infections and deaths has risen significantly. While the incidence rate was still at 95 on June 1st, it has now reached 350 14 days later. There is a lack of oxygen and intensive care beds in hospitals. Unlike us in Germany, Namibia cannot afford another lockdown economically. Hunger is already spreading among casual workers and the financial hardship of people who have been laid off or whose salaries have been cut. There is no short-time work allowance, no bridging aid, no special payments. Those who are in financial distress cannot afford a vitamin-rich and healthy diet and are hit earlier and more severely by viral diseases.

Approximately 4% of people in Namibia have been vaccinated once, with AstraZeneca from South Africa or with Sinopharm from China. Yes, China is once again much faster and more generous than the Western world! But admittedly, the willingness to be vaccinated in Namibia is not as high as in Germany. For various reasons, conspiracy theorists are finding open ears for their messages in Namibia.

Now three cities, Windhoek, Okahandja and Rehoboth, have been sealed off for the time being, students in grades 0 to 9 throughout the country have been sent on early winter holidays for a month, alcohol consumption has been significantly reduced, gatherings are limited to 10 people and there will be no in-person church services until the end of the month.

The Namibia Support Association is trying to help quickly and easily. We have just distributed disinfectants, soaps and detergents to the people in Okombahe. Women have sewn washable masks again and people in Okombahe who are clearing the cemetery of snakes have been provided with more food packages.

Thank you for your special donations, which have enabled us to generously help over the last 15 months.

Sharing = happiness

This human wisdom was written on the plastic bottle that Maike, Ronja and Lilith, three young girls from Pfedelbach, together with her flute teacher at the Namibia Support Association in Oberhöfen. In this “Sharing=Happiness” bottle In the last few months they had collected money at the flute course and also at home to support children in Namibia. The flute teacher waived her fee and the girls put a little extra money into the special bottle at home. Last year for both promotions 210,73€ together.

Together, the three girls decided that the money collected should especially benefit the children in Okombahe. Children whose families urgently need mouth and nose protection masks, disinfectants, soap and detergents keep coming to the Sunday children's church service, the two soup kitchens and the toy library (educational playroom). The money collected will be used to help the Contain the spread of the virus in OkombaheUnfortunately, in recent weeks people there have become seriously ill and some have even died.

The shining eyes of the three girls confirm the human truth, that sharing with others also means personal happiness. But beyond personal happiness, the sharing of the girls and the flute teacher is so helpful, important and vital for the people of Okombahe. They are suffering greatly from the effects of the pandemic through hunger, unemployment and a lack of hygiene products.

Decision support – day centre in Okombahe?

The committee of the Namibia Support Association is facing a groundbreaking decision, which I would like to address to you today as readers and supporters.

For some time now, we have been asked by people from Okombahe whether we could do more to help these disadvantaged and impoverished children by running a soup kitchen three times a week for around 80 small children and a toy library (educational playroom) for kindergarten and primary school children. They want their own day center for children and young people with regular meals and educational activities. Augustinus, deputy head of the primary school, and Yvonne, head of one of the soup kitchens, and four other people are forming a planning group for this.

The idea of the day centre took concrete shape last November when I, the first chairman, was in Okombahe for a longer period of time. A house planner from Omaruru came to Okombahe. The planning group and I discussed with him what was needed in the day centre and what the local people wanted. He is currently working on a draft. The planning group has already received the green light from the local council for the desired location next to the local kindergarten, so that this kindergarten can also be included. If the house is built as desired, it will be a beautiful, large centre in the middle of the town. Continue reading