Report from the childcare in Namibia

For a long time I dreamed of exploring a foreign continent for a few weeks and at the same time combining my trip with a charitable project. This summer, this dream finally came true and was even more beautiful than expected.

Travel and flight

After a 4-month wait we were finally able to start our journey to Namibia and we flew from Vienna to Windhoek with a change in Cologne. Despite a delay, the journey was hassle free and our taxi driver was waiting for us as soon as we arrived. Already on the way from the airport to the city we learned a lot about the country and even met the first monkeys on the street.

Accommodation in Windhoek

We were accommodated in the student house very close to the city center. Four of us shared a room and lived in the accommodation with 10-15 other volunteers, which made life there always very fun and entertaining. We cooked and ate together, often sat together for hours in the evenings, drove into town together and went on numerous excursions at the weekends. I really felt like part of a big family there and enjoyed getting to know so many different people, which quickly developed into real friendships.

Project in a kindergarten in Windhoek

I worked in a kindergarten in a Windhoek township. Together with three other volunteers and the two local carers, I looked after the approximately 40 children who came to the kindergarten every day between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, my working hours were only from 7.00:14.00 a.m. to 40:XNUMX p.m. I took the children to my heart right from the start and played with them, read to them, helped with the cooking and carried out small projects such as printing on t-shirts or face painting. It was nice to see the enthusiasm of the children and even though it wasn't always easy to keep XNUMX children happy and they kept me busy, I was very sad when I had to say goodbye after four weeks.

Leisure and travel in Namibia

Namibia and Windhoek have a lot to offer. Especially in the city center there are many nice restaurants and cafes with delicious cakes, the opportunity to try local food at the "open market", take part in drumming courses and demonstrate your musical skills at karaoke evenings. For day trips there are opportunities to go on safari to farms around Windhoek where you can get up close and personal with elephants, hippos, giraffes and other wildlife or, if you have more time over a weekend, enjoy the stunning Namibian countryside. I was particularly impressed by the red desert Sossusvlei, the coastal town of Swakopmund and of course the Etosha National Park.

My conclusion

At the end of my trip I can only say that it was an unforgettable time, which gave me the opportunity to meet so many new people, to discover completely different cultures and ways of life, to get to know a country in all its different facets and a multitude of exciting ones to make experiences. I can only recommend everyone to make this experience themselves.

Childcare Report in Namibia, by Hannah T., January 2019