March 1, 2024

Milestones in Okakarara

We dare to take a brief look back and see what has happened so far. This timeline mainly features milestones from Okakarara – events that we still consider formative today. The timeline ends with the year 2024 – the year in which we celebrate the 18th birthday in Okakarara and hope that you will celebrate with us. To view the milestones, carefully move your mouse over the text – perhaps you can discover something in the process.

In the preschool class in 2006 and 2024:

 

Milestones of steps for children

  1. Founding of the Trust steps for children Namibia by Dr. Michael Hoppe. Start of the first project in Okakarara.

    • 1.2.2006: Foundation of the trust steps for children Namibia by Dr Michael Hoppe. First chairperson: Erika von WietersheimAuthor and supporter
    • March 2006: Start of the first project by steps for children in Okakarara in Red Cross HouseUse of the Red Cross House in 2006, a little outside the town. Augsburger Freunde Namibia made the room they had used for their sewing workshop available to steps and moved the former sewing workshop into an adjacent garage. 
    • First social step: The first 30 children (exclusively orphans and vulnerable children, OVCs) come to our steps PreschoolThe first children sit here in the pre-school in Okakarara and are fed by our soup kitchen The first two cooks in Okakarara provide our steps children with hot meals
    • In December: selection of the first Schutzengel children for the start of the Schutzengel programme
    • The purchase of steps property and houseThe move from the Red Cross house to our own project  was completed in March.
    • 60 children, 10 staff members
    • A mobile houseThe house had many tasks for the afternoon classes is built and soon converted into a preschool classroom. 
    • The first volunteer, Ivy Boachie comes to Okakarara for her weltwärts FSJ
    • Sewing workshop, through which the Schmotz couple independently of steps 2004 Establishment of the sewing workshop by the Schmotz couple founded, is integrated into the overall project as an income-generating step
    • Start of the Guardian Angel Programme with the first 6 childrenThe first Schutzengel children, who came from the steps pre-school into first grade.
    • PC school founded For steps children and surrounding residents: email, PowerPoint, Word and using other software programs.
    • Okakarara and Michael Hoppe on “Rund um den Michel” on NDR
  2. The steps afternoon classes programme (ASC) starts. Start The first 1,664 olive trees were planted of vegetable cultivation on 13 ha on the outskirts of Okakarara – in Ongombombonde The building of today's daycare centre and preschool in Ongombombonde . 300 bicycles Many bicycles are arriving in Okakarara went by Container It still existsto steps in Namibia, local fitters Fitters receive the bicycles were trained.

  3. New building for pre-school, soup kitchen and sanitary facilities in Okakarara. Red Cross HouseUse of the Red Cross House in 2006

  4. Second guest house in Okakarara opened; the first house serves as accommodation for volunteers.

  5. Opening of the new daycare centre and preschool in Ongombombonde.

  6. Start of the social holiday at steps for children in Namibia.

  7. Distribution of food and masks, purchase of a pick-up for the vegetable garden.

  8. Conversion of vegetable cultivation to organic-regenerative cultivation.

  9. 18 years of steps for children – anniversary with guestbook.