Juliane Scheller worked for us as a volunteer at steps for children in Okakarara (Namibia) for two and a half months. The 26-year-old speech therapist from Hamburg impressively describes her experiences and insights she had during her time with the people of Africa.
So I packed my bag and took a few usual items like a mirror, a hand puppet, feathers, straws and many other therapy ideas in my head. Already on the way from the capital Windhoek to Okakarara, I talked extensively with our project manager Sonja about speech therapy. She told and explained something to me about the project, life in Okakarara and about a boy from the project who would stutter. Besides, I kept looking out of the window while driving and saw the fascinating nature of my new home for a while, with its incredible width and one or the other warthog. When I arrived in Okakarara, I met the other nice volunteers Tabea, Anne and Paul. I moved into my room, made myself comfortable and quickly got used to our familiar house. For the rest of the day, the other volunteers told me about their everyday life, the 7.000 soul community, the warm project and the children.
After the weekend of my arrival, my work in the project started. I got to know my new colleagues and the project site and saw mostly smiling and happy faces. After I had a lot of contact with the teachers in the first days, accompanied their lessons and got an overview of the individual development areas of the children, I then started with the individual language support. The focus was of course on the official Namibian language, English. They got to know the vocabulary for colors, days of the week, food, animals and a few other helpful English words.
The work was fun on both sides, I quickly realized, since the children were all committed and proud of their own portfolios that we made, provided with their names and all the worksheets that they had edited and solved. We played games to promote the mouth muscles and tongue strength or blew vigorously for feathers and small cotton balls. The children had a lot of fun with just a few things and were able to enjoy my therapies for language support as a carefree time.
During my traineeship, I was in a different group every day and therefore had a lot of time for a great exchange with my colleagues. They were able to tell me important things about the children, the family home and their origins. In addition, I was able to ask important questions and support them in the areas of education and communication. The targeted exchange made the work extremely pleasant and efficient. You learned a lot from each other most of the time. Sometimes my colleagues were amazed at how quickly and without much time, certain things could be done if the problem was communicated precisely, such as questions about documents that could be discussed in a few minutes. In return, I admired the stress-free composure of the local educators in some situations, since a certain calmness can be very beneficial in many solutions.
In the afternoons, the volunteers supervised classes 5, 6 and 7 with their homework. There were always topics of conversation such as school or study, the role of a woman, but also the issues of contraception and HIV. I was always aware of how much responsibility I had and what knowledge and ways of thinking I could impart to the children for the future. Friendships developed with a high level of trust. So I sat with three girls from ninth grade twice a week - we did their homework together and talked about important everyday issues. They did not dare to work in school and to start talking to their teachers, because it became clear that they were afraid of authority and therefore did not want to do anything wrong. It has been a long way for me to understand this behavior and release their blockages, give them the confidence and courage they need. But at the end of my time in Okakarara, they obviously dared to talk and ask questions independently if they wanted to know something. They became more confident in dealing with others and were proud to speak ever better English.
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During my time as a volunteer, there were regular questions about life, individual families, certain social or political structures, and so many children's fates. Our management, Sonja, was always at my side for all of this. I could count on their support in every conceivable matter, whether it was a visa, a doctor's visit or just a few encouraging words when the days weren't so bright. It always felt good to have the project management at your side with an open ear and helpful words.
During my two and a half months with steps for children in Okakarara, I got very different insights into the life and everyday life of children in Namibia, which could not have been more different. Children who developed language problems such as stuttering due to family difficulties, but actually communicate so wonderfully. Children who did not dare to speak, even though they are actually so brave and strong. Children who could be more than comforted by a smile from their counterpart, a sincere hug or encouraging words.
I am extremely grateful for the time as a volunteer in Okakarara, because it gives me incredible pleasure, has shaped my life in many different ways and has enriched me a lot. To a successful continuation of the project with happy, healthy and confident children.
Thank you for your great work and we wish you, dear Juliane, all the best and continued success on your way!