Stories of 3 women who inspire courage

How women fight for a better future.

Most of them came from bitter poverty, from the so-called informal settlements in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Now the 3 women who inspire courage can support their families and send their children to school. The stories are about women who, through the social and income-generating projects of the foundation steps for children, have taken a step towards their own independence. 

The official figures make this clear. Sadly, it is still the case that women and children are the hardest hit by poverty. Whether single mothers in Germany or women in Asia or Africa… 

• 1.7 billion adults have no bank account, 3/4 of them are women. 
• It is estimated that 60 % of chronically hungry people are women and girls. 
• 750 million adults worldwide are illiterate. 2/3 of them are women. * 

Without society accepting women in leadership positions, without education and access to qualified jobs, women have a hard time. Even in the future, nothing much will change without projects that encourage women to take on leadership roles and move into them. 

We would like to tell you stories of 3 women here who inspire courage

Business Lady – Jackie from Gobabis

Jackie is the head of the steps carpentry workshop and administration in the projects of the foundation steps for children in Gobabis (Namibia). She took over responsibility for the steps guesthouse a year ago already. The guesthouse and the carpentry workshop are part of the foundation's income-generating projects, with the aim of becoming independent of donations in the long term! Business plans and tenders are no stranger to Jackie; she works very well with construction companies as well as with the employees and has managed to significantly increase the number of overnight stays at the guesthouse in a short space of time, and guests also like to return to Gobabis.

Strong in the community – Kaunapawa from Okahandja

Kauna is an exceptionally dedicated woman – she is the founder and head of the social project Ileni Tulikwafeni and the whole community is very close to her heart. Due to her strong commitment and her efforts for the poorer people of the town, she has now also been elected councillor of Okahandja (Namibia). steps for children is proud to have supported her project for over a year and, in addition to funding meals for almost 1,000 children every day, to have donated a chicken house complete with a solar incubator. So Meme Kauna, which means something like Mama Kauna, is now also the manager of a chicken house with partly more than 100 chickens. The chicks, eggs and chickens are sold and used in the project's own soup kitchen or in the soup kitchens of the other steps projects.  

From computer school to project management – Markel from Rehoboth

Markel began her work as head of the computer school of the Otto Xamseb project supported by steps for children in Rehoboth, Namibia. The computer school was founded by the steps for children foundation as an income-generating project. To be able to offer customers even more knowledge, Markel completed a computer driving licence (ICDL) at the steps computer school in Gobabis. Shortly afterwards, Markel also took on the guardian angel programme for the children of the Otto Xamseb project and additionally looks after, supports and challenges the guardian angel children. With the guardian angel programme, the steps for children foundation promotes the education of talented girls and boys. At the beginning of 2020, steps for children took over the property, all buildings and overall responsibility for the project. In this context, Markel worked her way into accounting and eventually managed it herself.

She is also considered a reliable contact person in this respect, and when steps also built additional school buildings and she managed the construction. When her aunt Josephine, the founder of the Otto Xamseb project, had to step down from project management for reasons of age, Markel was also available for this task. At just under 30 years old, Markel is the project manager and the superior of 8 female employees! A real organisational talent.

 As the steps for children foundation, we would like to see and tell more of these stories. We want to change the distressing figures mentioned above.We are ready for sustainable change. Are you too? 

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Hamburger Sparkasse:IBAN: DE44 2005 0550 1238 1497 26BIC: HASPDEHHXXXPayPal: paypal@stepsforchildren.de *Source: WFP Gender Policy and Strategy