Our guardian angel program

The guardian angel program of the steps for children foundation was launched in 2009. It started at our first location okakarara.

In Namibia's state schools, very few children from the informal settlements manage to attend school up to the 9th or 10th grade or even to the end of the matriculation (comparable to the Abitur). There is a high drop-out rate among students, as some of them do not receive any support from their parents. For example, they have to stay at home to look after their younger siblings or earn money for their families. It may also be that the guardians simply do not have the money to pay for school fees, school uniforms and materials for their children. Often the parents themselves, if they do not have an educational background, cannot assess the value of education and do not see the need to support their children in school matters. Girls are particularly at risk of dropping out of school early due to early pregnancy.

In our guardian angel program, we not only bear all the costs, but also support and look after the guardian angel children and young people comprehensively. We take care of them, help with all their challenges and support them throughout their education and personal development. From elementary school to high school – even to an apprenticeship/degree. We also talk to family members and show them what education can do for their children. The more the family supports the program, the easier it is for the girls and boys to cope with everyday school life. The drop-out rate of the guardian angel children is significantly lower than that of the children who do not receive any support from steps.  

No. As a guardian angel, you support one of our guardian angel children, but not a “personal” godchild. This will be the Privacy of children is respected and all children are treated equally.

Every year at the beginning of the new school year, children are selected who successfully complete the steps pre-school and who can show a high level of learning motivation and talent. They are children from poor backgrounds, mostly living in the informal settlements adjacent to the projects.

Both the preschool teachers, who have often known the children for more than four years, and the management of the facility are involved in this selection process. Social workers who know the families of the guardian angel children are also involved in the selection process. Discussions are also held with the children's legal guardians. With this we try to make sure that it is understood that the Guardian Angel program is a very long term program is and only makes sense if the children stay with it in the long run.

The donation made flows into a funding pool for all our guardian angel children. This bends funding defaults other guardian angel. If a guardian angel is no longer able to pay, every guardian angel child will still be supported.

All costs incurred are made from the financing pool. Many guardian angels make it possible that we now over 140 gifted children and young people from the poorest backgrounds can support them on their educational path. 

Just a few years ago, school attendance and teaching materials were free. Due to the over-indebtedness of the state and the associated financial difficulties, the costs were increasingly distributed to the parents or legal guardians, provided they can pay it.

There are no "official" fees. A Voluntary Parent Contribution is requested or demanded because the Ministry has not compensated for the funding gap caused by the cessation of school fees. The schools, however, need the money. Failure to pay will result in a child not being admitted to the appropriate school. In reality, there are various approaches to solving this problem, since schooling is compulsory in Namibia. However, if the school knows that parents can pay school fees or know that an organization like steps for children is behind it, they insist on the payment. 

Books, paper, toilet paper and other general things were provided by the school until the end of 2021, the students only had to buy their personal school materials. Since the start of school in 2022 the legal guardians have to buy pens, notebooks, erasers, glue sticks etc. in multiple versions, but also school books, copy paper, toilet paper, chalk and other things for the general public.

The school materials bought by steps at the beginning of the school year and given to our tutelary children are collected by the class teacher and distributed equally to all students in the class, since many children and young people in the schools cannot bring any materials with them due to a lack of financial means. In this way, our guardian angels also indirectly support many other needy children.

Guardian Angel Children Grades 1-7

The average annual costs are much higher than €372 (€31 / month) and change again every year. With the specified amount, however, a significant contribution to the funding pool from grades 1 to 7.

Guardian angel children class 8 - high school

On average are the costs per year much higher than €732 (€61 / month) and are subject to annual changes. As a guardian angel, however, this donation will make a significant contribution to funding pool from the 8th grade to the Abitur.

steps students

The average costs per year for an apprenticeship or course of study lasting between two and four years are approx. €5.000. This means that they are significantly higher than the specified annual amount of €1092 (€91 / month). And yet this donation makes a significant contribution to the financing pool of the steps students. 

The costs for the guardian angel children have risen again and again since the beginning of the guardian angel program and especially in recent years. This is mainly due to the following reasons:

• Officially there are no school fees. However, the Namibian state has no money available to financially compensate for this gap. Therefore, the schools turn to the legal guardians to finance the necessary expenses.
• It is the same with the school materials. The legal guardians or steps for children must obtain all school materials such as textbooks, notebooks, pens and sheets of paper as well as some toilet paper themselves and hand them over to the school.
• The guardian angel children receive a warm meal at lunchtime when they come to steps for afternoon classes. Basic food prices have increased by over 2022% in 30 alone. The price increase in previous years was similarly disproportionate.
• For a long time, volunteers have supported a lot in the afternoon care of the school children. Most of the children and young people are now being taught by paid teachers. Their salaries are increasing every year, more than before because of inflation adjustments in recent years.
• General inflation in Namibia is increasing rapidly, as are the operating expenses of our facilities which form the basis of all activities.

We should definitely continue to strive together to achieve the many positive results that could be achieved, among other things, through your guardian angel sponsorships. Without your support, this will not be possible with steps for children alone.

Please send us your question to info@stepsforchildren.de