Volunteer experience from the After School Club in Namibia

It started on January 27, 2017. To Namibia for two months. In the evening from Stuttgart to Frankfurt and from there to Windhoek, Namibia, more than 8000 kilometers away. I got on the plane at -16 degrees and when I got off the plane after a 10,5 hour flight, I ran into a wall of heat and sun (which I didn't think was bad). Then I grabbed my suitcase after waiting a little longer at passport control. I was picked up by two guys and driven to the RGV Student House on Bach Street in Windhoek West.

Arrival at the Student House and first impressions

When I got there, Maria, one of the three housekeepers, gave me a little tour of the house where I lived (there are two building complexes). Then I sat down with the others at the breakfast table in the kitchen. The first few days were very unusual. I didn't know anyone because I traveled there alone and first had to get to know everyone and everything. I was supported and warmly welcomed by everyone in the Student House. On the first day we went to the Independence Museum and a little bit on Independence Avenue. At the top of the Independence Museum there is a restaurant from which you have a nice view over Windhoek.

My job site

On Mondays, Anita, a local RGV employee, went to the Craft Center for the introduction. The behavior on site, Namibia's history and more was explained to me there over a rock shandy, a special Namibian drink.

My project: getting to know the children

On Wednesday it was the first time for me in my project in the After School Club to Katutura. There I was warmly welcomed by Ursula, the "boss", and the children were very curious about me. It took a few days for the kids to know me better and me for them. Then it was really fun, because I noticed how the children got along with me and I could better deal with them.

Leisure activities in Namibia: excursions, safari and desert trip

On the first weekend we went to Spitzkoppe. Instead of renting a car, we hitchhiked there, which was a fun and exciting experience. In the meantime we played "Uno" somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the shade of an acacia tree because no car was coming.

We had a wonderful sundowner and drove back the next day. Together with other volunteers, I also drove to the beach in Swakop and did a quad tour in the desert there. We drove to Etosha National Park for a safari. On my last weekend we went to Sossusvlei. Experienced very beautiful sundowners and sunrises, and the desert is well worth seeing. If you have enough stamina and are sporty enough, you can also dare to climb the highest dune "Big Daddy".

My duties in the After School Club

My tasks in the project were, for example, homework supervision. This was the first thing on the “timetable” every day. Then there was an hour of lessons, for example English or math. In contrast to (most) students in Germany, the children in Namibia have a lot of fun. In the last hour we did sports. Football and swimming were the most popular sports, but basketball was also popular. It was a new experience and challenge for me to teach someone who has never swum properly how to swim.

I used to swim in a club myself and have the basic knowledge and technique in mind. Communicating to someone something that you can easily remember yourself – and then also has to do with technology and correctly timed processes – without ever having taught someone how to do it beforehand was difficult at the beginning. But this is also fun, you just have to be open to new things. Don't bury your head in the sand if something doesn't work the first time.

Leisure activities: insider tips

In Windhoek itself you can do a lot in your free time. For example, there is a karaoke night at the Warehouse every Tuesday night. If you go there, it's very entertaining. Then there are various clubs, if you feel like partying (and Namibians like to party), like Chobsies, Vibe or London. But you can also relax in one of the parks. Parliaments Garden is well suited for this. Or you can enjoy a sundowner over Windhoek in the sky bar of the Hilton Hotel with a savana. If you ever get hungry, you should go to Louis Botha (not far from the Student House) and get a portion of fries! Or you can drive to the Kapana Market in Katutura. Definitely an experience!

An unforgettable experience and a big farewell. Finally, I can say that I really enjoyed my time in Namibia and I will never forget it. I've gotten to know so many new people, get new and many impressions and also different ways of seeing things and life.

I was also impressed by the openness and friendliness of the local people. Also a big compliment to the organization RGV! Everything worked great! Thank you for the great time, I will never forget it!! And who knows, maybe we'll see each other again...

Greetings from Stuttgart Marius R.

Experience report from the After School Club in Windhoek, Namibia, by Marius R. 30.03.2017