Amandus in Namibia

Meet Amandus and find out why he decided to come to Okakarara and do his Voluntary Social Year here. He takes us into the local steps world and shares his activities and experiences that touched him.

1. Please briefly introduce yourself in a concise and meaningful way.

My name is Amandus Mechelk and I am 20 years old. I come from Buxtehude and lived there with my parents and my younger brother.

2. Why did you decide to do a Voluntary Social Year in Namibia?

A good friend of the family recommended the country to me because of its beauty, so I did some research and watched a few videos, which led me to the conclusion: “That’s where I want to go”.

3. Which books, documentaries, films, or other pieces of content did you use to prepare for your time in Namibia?

Mainly, I watched YouTube videos and talked to people in my circle who had already been here in Namibia.

4. Are there tasks at steps that you particularly enjoy?

I especially enjoy working with the children in the Pre-School, but I think the most beautiful thing is doing garden work in Ongombombonde.

5. What has been particularly challenging on your journey or during your stay so far?

The challenging part is settling in, as you really have to find your bearings. The stay actually relies heavily on personal initiative, and some information is only communicated later or you find it out by chance. I would therefore consider the settling-in phase fully complete only after about two months—after that, everything actually runs reasonably smoothly.

6. Is there a special encounter or story that has stayed with you?

So far, the coolest thing I’ve done and that has stayed with me was repairing the water pump for the steps garden and skydiving in Swakopmund.

7. Which skills or knowledge have you already been able to develop or improve during your stay?

The ability that is particularly put to the test is stress management—when all the children want ten different things from you at the same time.

8. What are your plans after your FSJ in Namibia ends?

Well, plans are a funny thing… I am also doing the Voluntary Social Year partly to help me find my direction, and that’s why I can’t say exactly yet. But it will probably be something in the area of technology or gardening and landscaping.

9. What has surprised you the most about your stay so far?

A lot, and yet not much. At first, many things surprised me—things that have now become so real. I had previously only observed life in southern Africa on television, and now I am right in the middle of it. It may sound a little strange, but that is more or less how it feels. It has become particularly clear to me that it is not as dramatic as it is portrayed in the media. In my opinion, they mostly show the extreme cases. Nevertheless, it is a different life with different living standards and circumstances.

10. What absolutely must you try when you are in Namibia?

Etosha National Park has been my favorite so far. It is as if you were driving through the setting of The Lion King—simply breathtaking.

11. What are you grateful for?

For my roommates, who are just as keen to travel as I am and want to see as much of the country as possible. I think that is great, because that is exactly what I plan to do, and you would not believe how quickly a year goes by when you have something to do every day.

12. I wish...

I wish that everything continues to go as well as it has so far and that the vegetable garden has a good harvest.