"During the last few months at Aussenkehr I have experienced a wonderful and incredible development. From the first day to the last I received so much love from the people around me. I received an incredibly warm welcome from the teachers and the community. Volunteering is not common in Namibia and is only seen as the work of the "white rescuers"... In the beginning it was very difficult to work together with the German volunteers because there are cultural differences and the way we Namibians do things do, differs from the German one..." A Namibian volunteer reports - read more  

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So the best time of your life awaits you - if you are ready for it!

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First of all, the fantastic nature Namibia with its spectacular flora and fauna, with breathtaking landscapes and the countless colors that sand and rock can take on. And of course you are expected exciting encounters with people: with children and young people whose lives follow completely different laws than you have learned and experienced. Encounters with local tutors and teachers who go about their work with confidence and are happy about every helping hand. Of course, the encounter with other volunteers who, like you, have to find their way here in a foreign country and find their way around. And in any case it is an encounter with yourself: since you will most likely gain experiences far away from the familiar paths at home that will accompany and shape you for the rest of your life. You will learn new things that will amaze you and you will experience limits that will allow you to grow. So leave your German know-it-all at home and go on the journey with an open mind and curiosity! Experience has shown that things usually turn out differently than you think.

 

The internship in the middle of the Namibian outback is certainly a unique opportunity for a great time - but of course it cannot be compared to a stay in a holiday club. Here everyone notices how quickly their own comfort zone literally melts away. That climate is hot and exhausting and especially in the summer months some Europeans struggle with the high temperatures. The classrooms are not air-conditioned and at best there is a fan. Even if yours working hours are similar to a German all-day school, the working days seem long because the commute is too far to retire to the dormitory at lunchtime. On the weekends, however, you usually have a lot of free time for relaxation or together activities. A good opportunity to play dominoes with the teacher-neighbors, climb the Außenkehr mountain or paddle alone or with a guide on the Oranje River or just swim like the locals at Sandy Bay, a bathing spot in the Orange River. Or just do nothing?! Small highlights for our volunteers are the one or two weekend trips that the schools organize for you. 

At the Aussenkehr elementary school you will be used according to your qualifications but also according to your wishes. In the morning you can sit in on the classes and support the class teachers or teach in the class of your choice - it´s all up to you! If you are studying teaching or special education, you can take over the learning support (Special Needs Club) from grades 1 – 4 in the morning. If you study social sciences, you will find yourself mainly in the subject "Window of hope" and you can design it on the basis of the teaching requirements and carry it out independently.

Ours starts in the afternoon Life Skill Workshop Program– the core of our foundation activities. There are offers such as gardening, reading, board games, arts and crafts that are firmly established, but you can also offer other life skills that you master very well. We are always happy about new ideas and your know-how!

Basically, you are never alone in action, you are always part of a big team! You will be guided by a German or Namibian long-term volunteer who lives with you. At the school, the principal, Ms. Suzie Kadhikwa, is there for you, as well as the two teachers, Mrs. Liandri (grades 1-4) and Mrs. Selma (grades 5-7). You live in "ORVI Boulevard" - that´s what our volunteers affectionately call it. It is a settlement of permanent houses that are rented out to the workers and employees of the vineyards. You share the sparsely furnished house with the other German and South African volunteers and you live in double rooms. Here you have the opportunity to cook together, do the laundry and of course exchange your experiences in a relaxed atmosphere.

Life in the immediate vicinity of the untamed nature of Africa or the local crime certainly require one different risk awareness than we are used to from Central Europe. But don´t worry: You will receive advice and tips on this, as well as all other information about your work, your stay at Außenkehr Farm, but also all practical information about arrival and visa as part of our two briefing sessions, which we will organize for you in our foundation in Stuttgart.