Social steps
Perspectives for the future
The non-profit foundation has both social steps and income-generating steps in Namibia. Our so-called social steps are institutions that children and teenagers from the poorest backgrounds supervise, encourage and support. With your donations, the foundation helps where it is most needed and thus enables every steps child to have a warm meal and security - a second home. In the following, our social steps are explained in more detail:
soup kitchen
Every child cared for in one of our social projects receives a hot meal in one of our soup kitchens every day. Because many children don't get breakfast or lunch at home. Regular meals are an essential basis for healthy development. This is how we prevent malnutrition and concentration disorders.
Nurseries
Age: 0-3 years
In the crawling group, babies and toddlers between the ages of 0 and 3 are looked after by well-trained educators. Early support through healthy eating, loving care and age-appropriate suggestions as well as hygiene education are an integral part of the curriculum.
Kindergärten
Age: 3-5 years
steps kindergartens support children aged 3 - 5 years through healthy nutrition, loving care, hygiene - education and age-appropriate learning and play suggestions. This strengthens healthy physical as well as cognitive-mental development, positive social interaction with one another and one's own mental security.
School care
Age: 6-17 years
In the afternoon care, both children from our Schultzengel program and regular school children are looked after with their school assignments, receive tutoring and plenty of opportunities to play. In addition to the implementation of small art and craft projects, the steps children also learn how to use the computer.
pre-school
Age: 5-6 years
In preschool, children are comprehensively prepared for state elementary school. The upcoming first graders must pass a school entrance test to be admitted to 1st class. Only if the preschool is passed can students from particularly poor backgrounds be included in the Guardian Angel program.
Some of the children are so-called “Non - Orphans and Vulnerable Children” (Non - OVCs) - children whose parents can pay the small amount of school fees. Children from the poorest backgrounds learn together with children from better backgrounds. Because the educational institution is convincing and many state schools prefer to take children from steps projects. This contribution in turn flows into the social steps.
In Namibia, most children whose parents have died of AIDS or other diseases are at risk of malnutrition and illness. They are not allowed to participate in society outside of the family. We have won steps homes families for these children, who take in orphans and care for them like their own.
The education system in Africa and especially in Namibia is underdeveloped. Children from poor families have little chance of finishing school without outside help, which offers them a perspective worth living. In the guardian angel program of the steps for children foundation, children and adolescents are cared for sustainably from the beginning of primary school through to higher education.
Clenda (on the right in the picture) is one of the first students from our guardian angel program. She made it to university - with the diverse support of steps for children. A rarity, because the chance of starting an academic education from an informal settlement is hardly feasible without support. Meanwhile, Clenda has grown into a confident young woman who wants to face the challenges of life and is committed to her community.
Children from informal settlements who otherwise would never have received higher education are now students! Thanks to the continuous support and care, the first guardian angel children from Okakarara will be able to start studying at a university in Windhoek in 2021. In the meantime, other young people from Gobabis have started an apprenticeship. This is where they will spend the next few years of their lives, learning and developing in order to be able to lead a self-determined life in the future.