Experience report from a soup kitchen in Namibia

The beginning of our Africa adventure

On January 28th, 2016 the time had come: our adventure began! Full of anticipation, enthusiasm and a little nervous, we took the plane from Munich to Johannesburg and, after the stopover, finally to Windhoek. We quickly realized one thing at the airport: Africa is different. Africa is full of joie de vivre and serenity!

Living together in the Student House in Windhoek

We arrived at the student house a little exhausted, which is really quite nice and well-kept. The 4-bed room in which I was accommodated was a big adjustment at first, but after a while I couldn't imagine my dear roommates without me. On our first trips alone in the city, we were still a little unsure because everything was very different compared to modern Europe. But we fully immersed ourselves in the way of life, the country and the culture and were given rich gifts, so that we ended up walking the streets like "real" locals.

My experience with the team on site

After our introductory workshop, which was really super informative and a good preparation for the following month, we went to our project! Unfortunately, there were some issues with the funding of this project and it has been closed indefinitely. Our local RGV manager said on the phone: "Welcome to Africa!"

My volunteer work in the Soupkitchen in Katatura

A new replacement project was quickly found for us: a soup kitchen in the depths of Katatura, where up to 500 children get a meal every day. Our job was to serve the food. The warm and inspiring leader said at the beginning that she was grateful for everything that we offer additionally.

The daily routine in the project

Of course we wanted to get the best out of it and soon we had a fixed daily routine: first we made music together, we taught them new songs, then we offered a pre-school of about 2 hours, in which 30 children took part every day. The children were really well-behaved, motivated and inquisitive, which made us really happy. First we started with the alphabet and the numbers, the children quickly made improvements and made progress, so we were always able to teach them new things.

After the lessons, the stressful period began when up to 500 children received a hot meal every day. That was also a completely new and special experience: although these children have nothing materially, they are still happy, make no special demands and are grateful! On some days in the afternoon we organized an After School Project where the children brought their homework with them and we supported them in this. We used dictations to check what the children had learned. The work was really exhausting, but we had a great time!

Weekend trips with other volunteers

We spent the weekends traveling to various destinations in Namibia. Together with other volunteers we planned joint tours. Here, too, clear differences were seen between Europe and Africa. When renting a car, it is often better to plan 3 hours and even on the roads, which are mostly "unpaved", you always had to allow yourself a decent time buffer.

Special highlights

Our trips took us to Sossusvlei, the oldest sand dunes in the world, to Swakopmund, a German coastal town on the Atlantic Ocean and to the Etosha National Park. I was incredibly impressed by the places and realized that Namibia is one of the most scenic countries in the world.

The following experiences burned into my memory:

• Sunset on a small mountain with a view of the stone desert
• Starry sky in the desert
• Camel ride and quad ride through the dunes
• Watch lions, leopards, zebras and giraffes up close
• Sunset by the ocean in Swakopmund
• Conclusion about my volunteer work in Namibia

At the end it remains to be said: "If you only visit two continents in your lifetime, visit Africa twice."

The 4 weeks that flew by were a great adventure that I definitely wouldn't want to miss. I was able to gain new and valuable experiences and take a lot with me for the rest of my life.

Experience report from a soup kitchen in Namibia by Andrea P, 08.03.16