Block Foundation and steps for children create spaces
A new home for work and education in Gobabis, Namibia
At one of our locations, in Gobabis, a new building, a multifunctional center, was completed just in time before the coronavirus crisis began. The Hamburg entrepreneur Eugen Block is not only successful in system catering and the hotel business; he is also convinced that it is possible to provide young people with difficult educational backgrounds, as well as older people without school-leaving qualifications, with a good education. Through the Block Foundation, he takes responsibility and invests sustainably in our projects. Sustainability means that not only the costs of constructing the building, but also the ongoing costs incurred over the next 10 years, such as electricity, water, repairs and the salary of an additional social worker, will be covered by the Block Foundation.
Michael Hoppe, founder of the steps for children foundation, and Henk Olwage, head of the steps projects in Gobabis, were able to carry out the ceremonial first groundbreaking in October 2019.
Philipp Block (son of Eugen Block and member of the Block Foundation Council) and Thomas Naber (Managing Director of the Block Foundation) had previously laid the „spiritual“ foundation stone for this building during a project tour in spring 2019. Work on the building began in mid-October. The ground plan was quickly laid and the roof truss was already in place before the summer break in December.
„It is a wonderful feeling to see that the Stiftung Block, with the active support of the steps for children foundation, was able to build a new building for the people of Gobabis. The building combines many important functions for the people on site and creates new space for education and work. We look forward with joy to continuing our collaboration with steps for children in Gobabis, Namibia.“
Philipp Block, Board Member of the Block Foundation
Come in!
The building is used by the whole community. In addition to Schutzengel children and our steps homes children, who come here in the afternoons to study and work, its doors will also be open to people from Gobabis who are not directly involved in the project. Multifunctional—the name is intended to become a reality. Santiago, a long-time preschool teacher at Light for the Children, our cooperation project on site since 2010, already feels at home here. Together with preschool teacher Sofia, he is bringing the building to life.
A tour of the rooms
But now it's time for a tour and a look inside the building, because the printer and copier have already been delivered and are ready for their first use.
The spacious classroom will be used for homework help and supervision in the afternoons, as well as for „Second Chance“ adult education courses in the mornings.
Tables and chairs made by the joinery for the large classroom and the conference room.
The Resource Centre offers copying and CV writing as a service.
There is also a library.
The office for administrative matters.
The reception of the building.
Here, teachers and childcare workers sit together in the conference room and consider where they could hang the children's self-painted pictures. They decide to set up a reading corner.
Why the rooms will soon become even more important
Girls' club and boys' club
A Girls Club and a Boys Club for Schutzengel and steps homes children will be established. In a trusting atmosphere that encourages people to exchange ideas, conversations can be held on a wide range of topics, such as love and sexuality, as well as difficult situations in the family and at school, with friends or teachers. A safe space will be created. If needed, individual conversations can also be held with a social education worker.
Enough privacy for one-to-one conversations
A space for a new social worker has already been created, and the search for the right person to work here together with Noubert, who looks after the steps homes, has begun. Noubert enthuses: „Something who was outstanding is we have several issue which we want to comminicate more on a personal level with different parents. We can now take them seperate to the multipurpose Center and talk in private. Thanks steps for such great effort.“
Second Chance
Adults who do not have a school-leaving qualification can continue their education here. A wide variety of topics will be on the curriculum: Primarily literacy courses, but also household management and budgeting, through to „how can I best help my child with their homework“, everything can be offered. Demand will determine what is on offer.
People in the multifunctional building
Santiago
Santiago takes over the management of the building. This means that he has an overview of the activities and everything that happens there. For example, he organizes the timetable and determines the building's opening hours and price lists for the community at large.
Sofia
Sofia, here wearing an orange cardigan with a pupil from one of our steps homes families, is responsible for the steps homes children in the afternoons together with Regina, herself a former steps homes child who works here as a volunteer. They supervise homework and take care of several other tasks that arise.
Takeover of a school and construction of a new school building in Rehoboth
Since the end of 2019, the Block Foundation has supported steps for children at another location in Namibia, in Rehoboth, by purchasing the existing Otto Xamseb House preschool and financing the construction of another school building at this location. Here too, the Block Foundation is making a sustainable contribution and is covering the school's ongoing costs for 10 years.
