Experience report from the After School Club in Namibia

"A project with a heart"

“Here the children are not judged according to their origin. Everyone is there for everyone and everyone sticks together. The After School Project is not only about the performance of the students, but about the needs of each individual. It is important that every child is treated with respect because they deserve it. The children come from financially weak families, they know what it means when you have to do without. Many children are very tired in the afternoon, they live with many family members in corrugated iron huts, it is very noisy there at night and the children rarely get enough sleep.

Difficulties of education at public schools in Namibia

The state schools have a very poor standard of education. Most of the teachers are poorly trained and find it difficult to impart the subject matter. In addition, the children are often punished if they do not understand something and ask questions. Many families cannot afford school supplies, and the children lack paper, pens, calculators and geometry sets. Furthermore, they do not have a quiet place at home where they can study and do their homework.

Support in the after school club through lessons and sports

The After School Project supports these children and tries to give them the best possible start in life. The children come to the project after school and the first thing they get is a warm meal for lunch. After that, homework is done, learned and taught together. There is a timetable in which the most important subjects are repeated. The students are allowed to ask questions until they really understand the topic, because this is often neglected in school. There are three classrooms in which children from 7 to 18 years are taught. The students are prepared for the degree and thus have the opportunity to begin their studies. After class, we do sports together every afternoon so that the children can forget about everyday life, it is the highlight for everyone every afternoon. There are sponsored bicycles, an arena where ball sports can be played, but the project and the children are open to new activities there too.

Helping hands sought

I've been in Namibia for two months now, unfortunately the After School project is having some difficulties at the moment. They are very grateful for every helping hand and it is urgently needed! You don't have to be afraid, everyone welcomes you with open arms and is always there to help you with questions and problems. You don't need any experience in teaching as long as you enjoy doing it and have patience. The children take you very quickly to the heart. The teaching level of the students is far below the European average, so it is easy for us to work through the lesson material with the children and to help them.

Get involved with the kids in After School Club

Please, please feel addressed by this great project. It's just nice that you can put a smile on the children's faces with so little effort. The children in the project are all very grateful, especially the older students appreciate the support. For the children it is the last chance to find a way out of poverty. For them, the After School Project is like a family, they feel comfortable there and know that they are not alone with their fears and worries.