Experience report from a kindergarten in Namibia

It had been my dream to go to Africa since elementary school and on June 03rd, 2016 I finally set off for Namibia together with a friend.

Accommodation in the Student House

During this time we were accommodated in a student house in Windhoek West. In addition to the central location - you can walk to the city center in 20 minutes - you got to know new people extremely quickly, as there were almost 30 Africans living there in addition to us Germans.

The number of RGVlers fluctuated between five and nine people during our stay, so you were never alone and always had something to do. Our room was perfectly adequate for two people and the common room and the kitchen offered enough space for everyone.

My project - A kindergarten level 1 in Windhoek

Our project was located in Grysblock - a suburb of Katutura - and it took us just under 15 minutes by taxi from the Student House to the kindergarten. Thanks to our friendly taxi driver Mathew, the time flew by and we kept learning new things about the country and its people.

I was assigned Level 1 by RGV and supported two educators in their group of just over 50 children, ages four to five. There was a fixed timetable, which recorded everything from morning prayer to picking up the children, and which was largely adhered to. The children spent a large part of the day outside on the playground or playing ball or racing games together.

However, it must also be mentioned that the equipment is not very good and the children are extremely happy about a little change. So one day we made paper airplanes for each child and spent the rest of the day outside playing with them. For two hours a day the group was divided into two smaller groups to better teach the children and prepare them for school. There was a topic for each week, according to which the course of the lesson was based. A completely new and special experience for me was how easy it was to make the children happy. Be it with homemade fruit salad on the subject of fruit, cooking vegetables together or making paper airplanes on the subject of transport options.

It was incredibly fun to watch the children learn new things or how happy they were with little things like balloons. At first you might not want to suggest too many new things, but both the educators and the children appreciate it when you take the initiative. The children in particular are very open, happy about any change and always looking for something to do.

Excursions and activities

The inner city of Windhoek consists mainly of Independence Avenue, on which there are many smaller shops and a shopping mall. However, it is still nice to just walk through the city after work, where you feel very comfortable after a short time. Since we had already booked a round trip from home after our volunteer work, we mostly spent the weekends in the Student House or did small things in Windhoek. However, we visited Okapuka and Naankuse, both of which are not far from Windhoek. There you can take part in various game drives, which are really recommendable and inexpensive.

Conclusion: Two months volunteering in Namibia

The time in the student house and in the project went by far too quickly for me, because you felt at home very quickly and especially the children really took to your heart. I would have liked to have stayed longer and it was really hard for me to say goodbye. I can warmly recommend the kindergarten project as well as the accommodation in the student house, because you have met so many great people and made new friends.

I was very lucky with my group, but you also have to be aware that a lot of things are going differently than we are used to and you have to fully engage with a new culture. However, this is also worth it and you have many great experiences!

Report from a kindergarten in Namibia by Marie G, 21.08.2016