How does social leave work in Namibia?
Here you can find out how to best take a holiday with steps for children in Namibia and still feel better about it — this is called social vacation, and for one week you have the opportunity to help out a little in one of our projects.
First of all, the destination has to be clear. If it’s Africa and — especially nice — Namibia is the choice, this trip can be wonderfully combined with an active visit to steps for children in the projects. We have two places where it is worthwhile to help out for at least two days and up to a whole week. Then you are active holidaymakers.
A tour of the site and an introduction to our concept and our way of working on site are of course included at the beginning — you will get to know the kindergarten groups, the preschool groups and the soup kitchen. The soup kitchen also provides you with a warm meal — just like the children. However, you are free to cook something for yourself at lunchtime and take a short break in your accommodation.
In the afternoon you will then get to know the children in the after-school care and will certainly already be able to help a little with English or math homework here — depending on what is planned.
Okakarara — what you can experience
During the project tour in Okakarara you will also get to know the project’s own sewing room and the guesthouse — this is where you will stay during your holiday. The income generated here flows, without deductions, into financing the social steps — that is, into the soup kitchens, the kindergarten and the preschool.
In addition, you will get to know the small town Ongombombonde about 8 km away — here steps for children has a vegetable garden where all kinds of produce is grown. The vegetables are used partly for the soup kitchen in the project and partly sold to surrounding soup kitchens and at street markets.
At this small location, which actually belongs to Okakarara, there is also a kindergarten and a preschool run by steps, which you can also take a look at.
Gobabis — what you will get to know here
Also in Gobabis there is a wonderful opportunity to take a social vacation. Here it is especially worthwhile to join the care of the Schutzengelkinder in the afternoon and help the educators there with homework or give tutoring in mathematics and English.
In the morning you will get to know our cooperation partner Light for the Children — with kindergarten and preschool as well as the soup kitchen, which serves many hundreds of meals at lunchtime — not only to children from the facilities, but also to children from the surrounding community.
You will of course also get to know the carpentry workshop and the guesthouse — where you will stay overnight.
Together with the project leaders, you will look for your tasks — it’s best to think in advance about where you could best support the work at the locations. For example, do you have experience with children’s and youth groups? Can you provide support with English and math homework in afternoon lessons? Are craft repairs your thing?
We look forward to you wanting to spend your days with us in the project and taking a look at who we reach with the donations and what we achieve.
