Participate in Namibia
Would you like to volunteer and take action to help disadvantaged children in Namibia?
On site, in our educational centers in Okakarara, Gobabis or Rehoboth, you enable children and young people to access education together with our volunteers and staff. You help with catering, initiate games and sports activities, help with homework and actively shape everyday life. You lend a hand – with your hands, your commitment and, where applicable, your specialist knowledge.
We offer various ways to get involved:
An FSJ with the weltwärts programme from Volunta gGmbH
A year in Africa with the weltwärts program
We are a partner organization of Volunta gGmbH, a company of the German Red Cross in Hesse. Volunta is a recognized sending organization of the weltwärts program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the organization responsible for the development-policy volunteer service. Through an application for the weltwärts program at Volunta, volunteers can contribute for one year at our educational centers in Okakarara, Gobabis or Rehoboth.
For application deadlines and further information, please visit Volunta's website directly and apply there:
3-6 months voluntary service at our locations
Get involved with heart, hands and know-how – and actively help shape educational opportunities in Namibia.
Would you like to get involved in our educational centers? For an assignment lasting at least 3 months in Okakarara, Gobabis or Rehoboth, we are looking for motivated volunteers aged 18 and over – ideally with prior experience in education, sports, tutoring, IT, horticulture, skilled trades, nutrition, guest services or building maintenance.
Important:
- Please send your application documents (German & English), including a letter of motivation, CV and certificates, 5–6 months before the start to mitarbeit@stepsforchildren.de
- Apply for your eVisa early (at least 3 months before departure) at https://eservices.mhaiss.gov.na/workvisa-services
- You cover your own travel and accommodation costs (from 15 €/night)
- Please make sure to come outside the Namibian school holidays if you would like to help at the educational centers.
We coordinate your assignment together with the center coordinators. We look forward to hearing from you!
Felizia in Namibia says hello!
Felizia was a volunteer at steps in Gobabis together with Anna. Read her interview here during her stay at steps for children.
Namibia with a sense of purpose
Volunteer at our locations in Namibia, support children and young people on site with your time, knowledge and care—and return with the unforgettable experience of genuine encounters.
Immerse yourself in genuine encounters while supporting our locations along the way: Spend the night in lovingly run guesthouses in the heart of Namibia or combine your time away with a social holiday on site. This turns your stay into an unforgettable experience—for you and the children you accompany on site.
Enjoy a peaceful night's sleep in sustainable accommodation units that are ideal for a few nights away from popular, bustling tourist hotspots. While visiting us in Okakarara or Gobabis, you can see our work for yourself and meet the children and staff at the location. This means the guesthouse is not just a place to sleep, but after a few minutes' walk, also a place of cultural exchange.
By renting our guesthouses, you support our locations and thus our concept –
Income for education.
Okakarara
Experience Okakarara firsthand: Our cozy double rooms with private bathrooms and a shared kitchen offer comfort and independence. Solo travelers and couples are very welcome!
Join us on our educational projects on site and gain exclusive insights into the sewing workshop and vegetable cultivation – genuine self-help in action.
Gobabis
A cozy atmosphere awaits you at Gobabis’ lovingly designed guesthouse. The invitingly furnished rooms with private bathrooms and small desks offer space to relax and reflect. In the large shared kitchen with adjoining dining room, you can easily prepare your own meals and chat with other guests.
If you wish, we can take you on a personal tour of our facilities in Gobabis. This gives you exclusive insights into our educational work and lets you experience first-hand how support for self-reliance is put into practice.
Social leave
By spending a few nights in our guesthouses, you can work during the day alongside our staff and volunteers at the preschool, support afternoon classes, or help in the soup kitchen.
Experience firsthand the real-life practice of a social education center that cares for the poorest children and young people in Namibia and learn about daily challenges that are guaranteed to differ from your own at home. Your donation reaches its destination – you can verify this yourself. In addition, you can book a tour of the place so that during your stay you don’t miss the most interesting corners and the regional cuisine.
Social holiday in Okakarara
Helping in the soup kitchen
with meal preparation and serving
Maintenance
of the school buildings, guesthouses and greenhouses
Afternoon care
in the subjects English and Mathematics
Assistance with sports games
Assistance with art projects
Kindergarten and preschool
Helping with games
Morning reading sessions
Please bear in mind when planning your stay:
When working with children and young people, it is not only about sharing expertise, but above all about the relationship with one another. The longer your stay, the greater the chance of passing on valuable knowledge to the steps children in a sustainable way.
Social holiday in Gobabis
Help at the guesthouse
Guesthouse marketing
Guesthouse organization and management
Help at the school*
Dance and physical education classes
Helping shape afternoon classes
Planning holiday activities, especially for steps homes and children in the Schutzengel program
Assistance with computer classes for children in the afternoon program**
*a good command of English and solid prior pedagogical knowledge absolutely necessary
**technical knowledge required
School holidays in Namibia
Please note that the steps guesthouses are open year-round for overnight stays, but guided tours of the steps facilities are only offered outside Namibian school holidays and on weekdays (Monday to Friday).
Holidays
Period
Christmas holidays
Good Friday
Easter
Spring holidays
Day of the African Child
Summer holidays
Day of the Namibian Child
International Teachers' Day
Christmas holidays
07 Dec. 2025 – 12 Jan. 2026
03 April 2026
06 April 2026
29 April – 29 May 2026
16 June 2026
21 Aug. – 06 Sep. 2026
28 Sep. 2026
05 Oct. 2026
05 Dec. 2026 – 10 Jan. 2027
steps travel - Adventure and social encounters in Namibia
Experience Namibia not only as a travel destination – but as a matter close to your heart.
On your journey, breathtaking landscapes such as the dunes of Sossusvlei and the impressive wildlife of Etosha National Park await you. But the special thing lies in the deeper experience:
You meet the children and staff at the educational centers of steps for children, sing together with them, learn your first words in a local language and feel the connection that arises across cultures.
Marvel at a fertile garden in the middle of the desert and visit a Herero, Damara or San family in their home – genuine encounters that touch you.
Your trip to Namibia is organised through external tour operators. On site, you will be accompanied by experienced guides who share the country’s history, geology, fauna and flora with you using their knowledge and passion. steps enables you to have special encounters at the locations. You will stay in comfortable lodges – with the feeling of immersing yourself deeply and making a lasting impact.
Experience that takes root
Many committed retired professionals want to pass on their knowledge – and support those areas where their experience can make a difference. Children, young people and staff at our locations in Namibia also benefit from this valuable expertise. Whether in educational work, skilled trades or organisational development – this exchange on an equal footing sustainably strengthens our teams.
If you are an expert in a particular field and are interested in a meaningful stay abroad, we look forward to hearing from you.
The World of Feelings
The German psychologist and psychotherapist Ernst Diebels, who came to Okakarara through the Senior Expert Service (SES), developed a curriculum that uses role plays, exercises and short stories to introduce people to the world of their own feelings and moods and helps them understand these inner processes in other people.
Insights from social supporters
See how our helpers on site support children in Namibia in their everyday lives.