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While summer is slowly approaching in Europe and we are getting our sandals out of the closet, it is now getting colder again in Namibia - winter is coming: our steps children wear everything they can find and sleep together in the huts at night under a blanket to keep warm.
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A lot of children and adults get bad colds. If you want to help: Donate warmth through thick woolen blankets! When we face the cold spell together, we create so much more warmth than alone. In the past few months, many actions for steps for children have been initiated - we have summarized some for you in the "steps in Germany" section. And who knows, maybe we can also report on your campaign in the next newsletter?
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In this issue you will also read the latest about our steps team in Hamburg - one or the other may know the "new" face. Look forward to it!
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When the cold spreads through the body...
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... learning is becoming increasingly difficult. Anyone who has ever had to spend a cold night knows how it feels and also that you can hardly concentrate if you couldn't sleep because of the cold. We want to warm up the nights for all our steps children in Okahandja with warm woolen blankets and also provide their siblings with woolen blankets.
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icon photo. steps children receive warm blankets for the approaching winter.
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A blanket costs 19 € - we need 450 blankets for
our steps children and their siblings.
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Donate here for warm winter blankets:
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teachers in Namibia
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The school grades of the students are rather bad at state schools in Namibia - this is also due to the lack of solid training of the teachers. steps counters the problem by training our educators and pre-school teachers through recognized educational institutions.
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Education and training is important for many people in Namibia not yet of particular importance. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that parents themselves could hardly enjoy their own school education and nobody bothered about it - especially among the population in rural areas. On the other hand, the professional prospects are very slim, even with solid training or a degree in the country.
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In our preschools, the children are lovingly cared for.
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Teachers at state schools in Namibia sometimes teach subjects that they do not fully master themselves - so children and young people have very poor chances of graduating from school without further school-accompanying care in other institutions, as steps for children makes it possible at different locations in Namibia to reach. “There are sometimes extreme situations in which teachers in state schools teach English without really mastering this language themselves. The test results for the students are accordingly says Ulrike Mai, National Coordinator Team.
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In order to enable children and young people to graduate from school and to be able to support them continuously, we train our educators and pre-school teachers at external educational institutions such as NAMCOL (Namibian College of Open Learning), the IOL (Institute of Open Learning) or the Headstart Montessori Teacher Training College regularly. These training courses are state-recognized.
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We would like to enable our teachers to undergo further training - these cost per person depending on the year of training and the institute
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between 500 - 2.500 € per year.
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Donate now and 3 of our teachers with us
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support a training course!
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Base Salary Adjustment
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Shortly before Christmas last year, we were able to increase the basic salary of our employees in all steps facilities and thus contribute to taking inflation and increased expenses into account. Our employees are paid appropriately depending on their level of training, performance and number of years of work at steps for children. We also cover the costs for further education and training as well as travel expenses to the individual training centers. By standardizing the basic salary at our locations in Namibia, we create comparability and thus transparency for the employees and counter the increase in prices together.
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support steps students and help sustainably
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At the beginning of the year we met our steps students in Windhoek. They gladly agreed to speak a few words for you into the camera. With a bit of determination, they can also master this task.
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Get started Fritz. He made it to university from our Guardian Angel program in Gobabis. He tells himself why he is convinced of steps.
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Donate here for our steps students and promote education sustainably or continuously support our guardian angel children from the beginning of class 1!
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New classrooms in Gobabis
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Two new classrooms were built in Gobabis - this was urgently needed because we were able to take more children into the preschool of our cooperation partner Light for the Children. A high need for classrooms arose before everything, there more childrenn than last year not only the nutrition secured, but also preschooleducation should be made possible. The construction was funded by the Reiner Meutsch Foundation FLY & HELP and the interior furnishings with chairs and tables were also taken over by the foundation, which has supported us for many years. The school furniture was made in the carpentry workshop in Gobabis. After just a few months, the first preschool children were able to enter the classrooms and celebrate the inauguration.
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We thank the Reiner Meutsch Foundation FLY & HELP very warmly for the continued support of our facilities in Namibia.
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STEPS IN ZIMBABWE
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Empowering girls in Zimbabwe
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for children acts strengthen together with the Help with Plan and Plan International foundation, girls in particular through measures that prevent child marriage, enable education and professional perspectives, educational work and violence prevention and support young women and families to use income-generating measures correctly.
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These measures are extremely important because 34% of the girls are married before their 18th birthday, many of them are pregnant shortly afterwards.* The result is often dropping out of school, which in turn significantly reduces the chance of a professional perspective. In the project region of Mutare and Mutasa in Manicland province, this problem is evident and has been exacerbated mainly by the pandemic - high rates of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence have been recorded as a result of many school closures.
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For girls and young women - AGAINST child marriage and early school leaving.
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*UNICEF Report 2021
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STEPS IN GERMANY
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Team spirit - the steps team from Hamburg introduces itself
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Who works in Hamburg?
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Although the Hamburg team consists of seven people, three of them are not paid. The others are employed part-time, so that we get by with just under 2 jobs in total and receive support from freelancers and, thankfully, volunteers.
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Michael Hoppe: “I'm always excited and amazed at what we 'wuppen' with this small but highly motivated team. Thank you, dear team and colleagues on the Management Board!”
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Now look forward to it Kirsten from the hay and Andreas Ross, which as "newer" faces here present for you.
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Intern Luise - active and full of life
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I'm Luise Schrei and I did a three-month internship at steps for children. I passed my Abitur in the summer and then spent several months traveling with a tent and backpack - mainly hitchhiking. I was able to explore the southern and eastern parts of Europe in particular. On my way I...
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We are very pleased that our community of supporters gives us various opportunities to present the sustainable work of steps for children to other people.
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Wine tasting helps young people in Namibia
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This was also the case at this year's wine festival of the Pütter gastronomy in Hamburg. A three-digit sum from the proceeds was donated to steps for children to support our children and young people in the long term.
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Colorful sewing products such as shoppers made of Shweshwe fabric, all-purpose bags with practical
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Zipper made of robust Canva fabric, cute printed mobile phone cases and pillowcases with animal prints can be purchased from the steps sewing room in Okakarara. The festival was a wonderful opportunity to combine enjoyment and social responsibility.
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On behalf of the steps children and young people, we would like to thank the Pütter gastronomy and all guests for the donations Entrance fees as well as our volunteers Cara Möller and Anton Rathgeb, who are continuously committed to steps and the dissemination of the vision.
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We are looking for helping hands for our steps information stands
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Commitment wanted! There is always the opportunity to run a small information stand for steps for children at district festivals in Hamburg or other events. Our motivated team of volunteers would be happy to support you for a few hours at our information stands, so that you can stroll through the festival yourself.
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Tango in Fado – music connects
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Together with many friends and musicians from all over the world, the singer-songwriter Stefan Voss recorded a song and the proceeds from it will go to steps for children.
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Dear Stefan Voss, we would like to thank you and your friends and everyone involved for this beautiful song and your commitment!
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Passing the ball in Okakarara.
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65 soccer balls were handed over to the employees of steps for children in Namibia at the beginning of April. And of course to steps children who will kick with these footballs in the future.
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We would like to thank the JFV Kinzigtal, Globus Baumarkt and the African Spirits Managing Director Markus Giesbert for the ball donation and for taking over the transport!
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Little guardian angels from Hamburg
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The Schule an der Gartenstadt, an elementary school in the Wandsbek district of Hamburg, is committed: Many pupils* in the first and third grades become little guardian angels.
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Dear Garden City School,
dear classes 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 3d and 3e, dear teachers, dear parents! On behalf of the guardian angel children from Namibia, we thank you very much for your valuable commitment.
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Moneymoon at the THS
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Moneymoon in March at the THS in Pinneberg - an all-round successful event! Support guardian angels from Pinneberg 6 guardian angel children from Namibia.
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In March, steps for children took part in the successful Moneymoon event at the Theodor Heuss School in Pinneberg. Organized in a colorful and varied way by the students of the ninth grade, the charitable commitment of the students was presented, which benefited various invited NGOs.
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Kindergarten children from Delmenhorst do handicrafts for children from Namibia
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Kindergarten children from Delmenhorst supported children from Namibia with an almost four-digit amount! They dedicated themselves to a creative Easter handicraft campaign. In preparation, the educator Ms. Neumann explained to the girls and boys that not all children in the world are doing as well as they are, not even here in Germany. With pictures from Namibia and age-appropriate explanations, the children compared their way of life with the living conditions of children in Namibia.
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The children make a big difference with small handicraft gifts! The Easter gifts were sold to parents and employees of the kindergarten.
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The campaign was initiated by our ambassadors Sabine and Hans-Christian Schröder, who have been committed to steps for children for many years and regularly travel to one of the steps locations in Namibia.
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Also this year they will travel the country and then personally report to the children with photos from the steps facilities.
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We thank you very much for the great effort! Even young people can do good things, they learn about the difficulties of children who live in poverty and help to enable them to go to school and receive support.
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Thanks for your interest!
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We are happy if you subscribe to our newsletter
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share with other interested parties.
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The steps for children foundation was founded in 2005 in Hamburg by Dr. Michael Hoppe founded. It now operates at eight locations in Namibia and Zimbabwe, where it is committed to improving educational opportunities for girls and boys from the poor neighborhoods. Over 3.000 children can take part in education and take a warm meal every day at steps and its partner projects.
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Hamburger Sparkasse, account: 1238149726, bank code: 200 505 50
IBAN: DE44 2005 0550 1238 1497 26, BIC: HASPDEHHXXX
PayPal: paypal@stepsforchildren.de
or www.stepsforchildren.de
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Donations to the steps for children foundation can be claimed in full against income tax. You will automatically receive a certificate in the month following receipt of the donation.
With kind regards
Michael Hoppe
(CEO)
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Steps for children foundation
Bramfelder Str. 77
22305 Hamburg
T +49 (0) 40 389 027 - 88
F +49 (0) 40 389 042 - 86
info@stepsforchildren.de
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Editors:
Marie Schnaidt
Responsible for contents:
dr Michael Hoppe
Photos: © steps for children, unless otherwise noted
© Photo 1, Martin Steimann
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