OPEN DOORS Education Centre (ODEC) – Tangeni Shilongo Namibia e.V.

OPEN DOORS
Education Centre

OPEN DOORS Education Centre (ODEC)
The open learning centre for children and young people from the township

ODEC has been operating since 2024 and supports more than 275 children, adolescents, and young adults every day through a wide range of formal and non formal educational programs. The focus lies on early childhood development, academic support alongside school education, and vocational youth programs. The core programs include:

Kindergarten
Preschool
Homework support from Grade 1 to Grade 12
A vocational Youth Development Program that provides vocational and life skills training

The education center is located in Mondesa, just outside the DRC. The Democratic Resettlement Community (DRC) is a “township” of Swakopmund in Namibia, where there is no running water or connected sanitation and electricity. Here we run the Horizon Primary School.

ODEC is intentionally designed as an open learning space. The centre is not only accessible to enrolled participants, but also serves as a place of education and encounter for the entire neighbourhood. Learners can use the library as a quiet study space, workshops are offered for members of the neighbourhood, and additional programs such as a children’s choir and weekend art courses create opportunities for creative expression and shared learning.

Beyond academic education, ODEC follows a holistic approach. Children and young people receive:

A daily warm meal
Basic medical care
Access to clubs and additional support programs
A safe space for personal development

The goal of the OPEN DOORS Education Centre is not only to provide knowledge, but to strengthen children and young people in their personal growth, foster practical skills, and create sustainable future opportunities.

Insight into the life of our learners

With ODEC, we want to set another milestone in achieving quality education for children and youth from low-income families and offer them a comprehensive support program. What will be special about ODEC is that we will be able to accompany, support and thus get to know the children intensively from preschool age until they are ready for university. This will not only provide them with an educational opportunity, but also a firm constant for a structured everyday life, which is especially important for children and young people from the township. Students who have distinguished themselves through social commitment and reliability during their time at ODEC are also given the chance to receive an OPEN DOORS scholarship.

Insight into the education centre

After 1 1/2 years: The school is ready since January 2024

Our first steps

At the end of 2020, the Municipality of Swakopmund released 3 plots of land for an application process, which were explicitly intended for the construction of an educational institution. We applied with the idea of the OPEN DOORS Education Centre (ODEC) and were able to convince the municipality. We were granted the 1,886 m² plot in May 2021. In November 2021, the land was transferred to our association Tangeni Shilongo Namibia and officially registered in the land registry. The purchase of the land cost us 275,356 NAD (15,800 €).

We needed more than 20 Mio N$ € (1,200,000 €) just for the construction of the education centre. We were able to raise this. Now we need monthly donations for the ongoing operation. Please support us so that we are in a position to offer our services in the long term.