Celebrate a birthday with Mirjam Kammer
The first time Mirjam Kammer heard about steps for children, she stayed overnight not far from steps in Okakarara, at the Waterberg guest farm. There, she was told all about the steps facility with its preschool and kindergarten and the vegetable cultivation in Ongombombonde; about the kindergarten groups, preschool classes and Schutzengel children, as well as the sewing room in Okakarara.
Mirjam Kammer is shown around the vegetable garden in Ongombombonde by the garden team.
In the following years, she followed the development of the foundation and its locations in Namibia through the steps newsletters, online events and personal contact with project manager Sonja Schneider-Waterberg. She was certain that she wanted to get to know steps personally on her next trip to Namibia. Travel planning began quickly, but had to be interrupted when the global coronavirus pandemic intervened.
A craft session with the steps children in Okakarara is a must!
On the second trip, which finally could take place in 2022, Mirjam Kammer and her husband stayed for four days directly at the steps guest house in Okakarara – just a few meters away from the steps premises with kindergarten and preschool buildings. This made it easy for her to visit the project every day on foot and exchange ideas with children, young people, and staff.
Lively exchange with the educators.
“I am convinced that excellent and sustainable work is being done there (and not only there), in which the people on the ground are involved as equals and in a self-determined manner.”
The kindergarten and preschool children are especially close to her heart – after all, she herself comes from the social sector and works as a social pedagogue in early childhood education and care, and for the past four years at Frühen Hilfen.
“What could be more obvious than asking for donations for steps for my celebration?
The money is in the best hands there!”
This gave her the idea early on of dedicating her next milestone birthday to steps in Okakarara together with her family, friends and acquaintances, and asking for donations instead of gifts: four months before the big celebration, she made all the preparations and asked us for flyers, posters and a personal QR code for her birthday donation link.
And so a proud four-figure sum was raised, benefiting the steps children in Okakarara.
Dear Ms Kammer, thank you very much for your commitment. Together with your guests, you are helping to give children on the margins of society access to education and improve their prospects for the future. Thank you for all that you do!
