Voluntary service

Voluntary service

Our association is an official recipient organisation in the “weltwärts” programme. Our DRC School Project & Community Centre enjoys the support of 2 volunteers yearly. We as a recipient organisation benefit greatly from the support of volunteers – a real enrichment for us.

You are a German Citizen and want to do a one-year voluntary service, then have a look at the sending organisation DRK-Landesverband Westfalen-Lippe. You don’t have so much time, the program “Weltwärts” is no option or you are just planning a short internship? Then get in touch with us and we will provide you with information. Note, however, that we do not offer any financial support.

OFFICIAL PARTNER OF

WHAT DO FORMER VOLUNTEERS SAY?

Felix Färber , 2010/2011

“What still characterizes me to this day is the “thinking outside the box” during my voluntary service in Namibia. It was an incredibly enriching experience to get an insight into the everyday life of the children and it was a lot of fun learning to do handicrafts with the kids or playing a round of soccer. Here, I have developed an awareness and appreciation for a number of privileges that in Germany seemed perfectly natural to me. An example for one of these privileges is access to education and sufficient school places for all children, which unfortunately is not always given in the DRC. It is all the better that the DRC School Project & Community Center is making a small but important contribution here and has even been expanded, renewed and improved since my time on site.”

“A year in Namibia and at the DRC School Project taught me many important things, including: “There is always a Plan B. ” If something doesn’t work in one way, you try to do it in another, and at some point you find a way that leads to the goal. But most of the important things that I took with me from this year have an impact on my inner life and are difficult to put into words. They are based on experiences and encounters with unique people and are a treasure for which I am grateful.”

Malina John, 2014/2015

Theresa Rhode, 2015/2016

“When colleagues become friends and this friendship lasts for many years and over 8000 km, this describes my voluntary service. I am very grateful to have become part of a community, to have met inspiring personalities and, together with the children and local people, to have used the available time as meaningfully and fun as possible. I have learned to question my European education and to be more optimistic and open to new things. For me “weltwärts” was a guide to my professional life, but also to voluntary work and I am looking forward to supporting the project and the community on site since my volunteer service. ”

“The unique thing about voluntary service was that I learned a lot of new things and changed my way of thinking. Among other things, I became more sensitive to topics such as racism in everyday life. Thanks to the DRC project, I had the opportunity to get an insight into life in Namibia. I also enjoyed working with children because they perceive the world differently than adults. The children had at least as much fun during the joint activities and excursions as I did. Through the expansion of the project library, which we carried out together with the teachers on site, the children now have access to more children’s books as well as school books. ”

Franca Sailer 2016/2017

Carolin & Veronica Koess, 2017/2018

“We have grown together with the kids over time and have really taken them into our hearts. At the same time, it was also nice to see how they have accepted and trusted us more and more. The project is an important part of their everyday life and a place where they can feel comfortable. We will not forget our colleagues, with whom we often chatted, held joint days of action and excursions and who always stood by our side. What was unique about our work was not only the great responsibility for the children, but also the creative possibilities we had in everyday life and other activities. The Voluntary service has challenged us in many areas in which we have been able to grow and learn. It also gave us an insight into the reality of life in Swakopmund and the DRC. And at the same time, we were able to contribute to enriching the everyday lives of some children and thus supporting them. This was a very nice and impressive experience, which we appreciate very much. ”

“My volunteer work at the DRC School Project & Community Centre was mainly shaped by the children and colleagues I worked with almost every day. They have shown me that together you can achieve a lot and that you should pursue your goals. It was always an unforgettable experience when a trip was due and you could see the children excited and full of joy in front of the project. They came to me with a gratitude and openness that I had never experienced before in this way, and this was an incredibly enriching experience for me. Completing my volunteer service at the DRC School Project & Community Centre was definitely one of my best decisions in my life.

Kira Harting, 2018/2019

“Eventful, formative and unforgettable – that was our year in the DRC School Project!
Although our own class presented us with many challenges, we are grateful for all the hurdles we were able to grow from. We have learned that not everything always goes according to plan and that a plan B is at least as important as flexibility, positivity and openness for what is to come.
Through our work and new friendships, our world has become a little bigger and we are very grateful for this unforgettable and instructive year!”

Alicia Krug & Fynn Fröndhoff, 2022/2023

Johanna Quadt & Lisa Dreher, 2023/2024

“We can look back on an incredibly wonderful and eventful year that more than exceeded our expectations!
Our tasks were very varied: both working with the children and helping with lesson preparation were a lot of fun. The really wonderful and incredibly warm colleagues played a major role here. We were welcomed as if we were part of a big family. We were able to learn a lot from them about dealing with children, as well as what good teamwork means. It was exciting and very instructive to immerse ourselves in one or many new cultures and to question our own behavior. It was particularly great how we were able to contribute our own ideas, try things out for ourselves and were always supported in doing so. For example, we started a tooth brushing project and began brushing teeth with the children every day at school. Thank you very much for a wonderful and above all unforgettable year!”

OFFICIAL PARTNER OF

WHAT DO FORMER VOLUNTEERS SAY?

Tangeni Shilongo Namibia e.V.

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