Internship in kindergarten in Namibia Field report

Why an internship in kindergarten in Namibia?

As part of our bachelor's degree in childhood education, we had to complete a 6-8-week internship during the summer semester break. The four of us, friends and fellow students at the same time, decided to do an internship in Namibia not only to be able to try out and apply what we had learned from our studies, but also to get to know a different culture, different customs and different educational methods. Since RGV offers students the opportunity to carry out internships during their studies, which are then also recognized by the university or college, we have decided on this organization.

Accommodation in Student House in Windhoek

At the beginning of the trip, we decided to live in a student house because we didn't want to be divided between different host families. We lived in Windhoek-West, on Simpson Street, in a very small student house that we shared with three other local students. It was ideal for us, but if you come alone, the Student House on Bach Street would be more recommendable.

Our mission in Katutara

The kindergarten is located in the township of Windhoek, in Katutura. Officially 67.000 people live here, but unofficially up to 300.000. Katutura means "place where we don't want to stay". From 1959 all blacks had to leave their "old location" residential area close to the city and move to Katutura, hence the name. There the poorest of the poor live in simple corrugated iron huts.

Like Windhoek, Katutura is also divided into different quarters. One of them is Okuryangava, where our workplace was located. Three weeks before we arrived, this facility burned down completely, making our help more urgent than ever. The kindergarten is managed by Alida and Gerhard and their daughters and daughters-in-law. For us Germans it is actually unimaginable, because the kindergarten accommodates more than 200 children, including babies from two months. The first few days were difficult for us, we first had to get used to the situation after the fire and the hygiene conditions. Nothing here compares to the western world. Hygiene is not considered and the number of children and the corresponding care ratio would be unreasonable in Germany, which is why completely different educational methods are used.

Tasks in kindergarten

Despite everything, we tried to do our best during the time we were in the kindergarten and also to give the teachers food for thought about new methods. At Alida's request, we always got a group of 20 children to teach in pairs, choosing those who will start school next year. Listening attentively, constantly repeating and funneling numbers, colors, ABC, is of great importance here, because you want to prepare the children perfectly for school. We have tried to offer the children as varied a program as possible, provided that the circumstances permitted. Often we didn't have enough chairs or tables or there was a lack of material.

In the end we managed to create an exercise book for all the children who were in our groups, in which we taught them the numbers from 1-10 in English, the alphabet, shapes, colours, their own names and so on. In addition, every Thursday was story day and each child was allowed to create a picture to go with the story being read. In addition to many songs, including German songs that we sang, we also played and danced a lot. But not only did we teach the children new things, the children also showed us great songs and prayers.

If you are interested in getting an insight into other facilities with a different standard, this is always possible with RGV. We also had the opportunity to try out another facility for a day. This facility was assigned level 1 (we worked at level 6 for 3 weeks). Our conclusion and a tip: If you want to complete this voluntary service or internship alone, you should opt for level 1, as it may be very difficult to cope with the circumstances on your own.

Since there were four of us, it was also very difficult for us, but we had each other and were therefore able to cope better with this situation in our small group. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, even if there were moments when we reached our limits - we are grateful that we were able to experience that.

Excursions in Namibia

On the weekends we have planned our own trips and excursions to get to know the beautiful sides of the country. It was quite easy to travel as there are many tour companies in Windhoek offering 10 day trips to the various destinations. You are then traveling with a tour group of about XNUMX people in a truck. This is how we explored Etosha National Park and Sossusvlei.

Etosha is Namibia's most famous national park, covering an area of ​​22.000 km². It was just fantastic to stand 5m in front of giraffes, elephants, zebras, etc. You drive the truck through the area and stop at the waterholes to watch the animals drinking. At night in the tent you can hear the lions roar - if that's not Africa feeling. Sossusvlei is definitely worth a trip. Pictures are created there that you probably can't take anywhere else in the world. Sossusvlei is an absolute experience with the red and orange sand dunes.

You should also have seen Swakopmund. A city where much of the German atmosphere has been preserved (houses and historic buildings). Swakopmund is on the coast and at the same time borders on the Namib Desert. Our highlight from Swakopmund was the quad bike tour in the desert. If you still have money left and need a rest after a hard week's work, you can still stay in a lodge (bungalows in the savannah). Following a recommendation, we stayed at the Gocheganas Lodge and were able to enjoy the endless view over the thornbush savannah and with a bit of luck you can also discover wild animals here and enjoy the wellness offers at the same time. The baboons dared to come out of the bushes for us.

Leisure activities in Windhoek

If you want to do something in the afternoon, you can explore Windhoek on your own. For us girls, the Himba women's market on Independence Avenue was a highlight, as was strolling around and then drinking coffee in the Namibia Craft Center. You should also have seen the Christ Church and the historical museum. Our insider tips for going out are Joe's Beerhouse, the Bushbar & Andy's.

Conclusion of my internship in Namibia

Namibia, a country full of contrasts. We lived between two worlds. Work in the kindergarten during the week, marked by poverty, misery and children who often have no real family and live in corrugated iron shacks. And on the weekends we had the opportunity to get to know the wealth of Namibia. This included the excursions, the landscape and the animals. We also made many acquaintances, be it with the taxi driver from Katutura, who himself lives very poorly, or with people who come from the richer parts of Windhoek and who actually lack for nothing. They live fenced off and isolated in their villas and often don't even see the misery a few meters away. Even if we were in despair in between and didn't know how to endure the work in the kindergarten, we are now proud and grateful for these experiences, both the good and the sad ones. In any case, you should be aware that you have chosen Africa for a developing country and should not expect German standards. It is important not to give up and to get involved with the other culture.

Internship in kindergarten in Namibia Testimonial from Judith H.