As I approach the beckoning structure before me, echoing the voices of excited children, I turn toward the distant sound of hurried footsteps of a few more children. Gazing against the horizon, the children approaching amongst the tall trees, grazing livestock and village huts appear small in size, but are big in spirit. I find myself at the doorstep of Epupa Kindergarten and Pre-Primary School.
Nestled within a Himba village near Gondwana Collection Namibia’s Omarunga Epupa-Falls Camp, this is a landscape unbeknownst to me, yet I feel as if I have been welcomed back home. As I reflect on my visit to Epupa, I reminisce on my earliest childhood years, and feel deeply humbled by the moments I shared with the children and the intangible impact of the Gondwana Care Trust on this school.
The school was established in 2007 and consists of two classrooms: a kindergarten classroom with 24 children, and a pre-primary classroom with 16 children. The two teachers, Ms. Herunga, who has been with the school since 2014 and Ms. Tjituri, who joined the school in 2022, facilitate a safe and secure learning environment for the children. Ms. Herunga painted the walls of the pre-primary classroom for the children – from the Namibian flag to letters of the alphabet to local wildlife – as the walls are too coarse to hang informative posters on. Observing as the two teachers supervised and guided the children during their activities, I was moved by their attention to each child, multi-tasking to ensure that the day’s lessons are learnt.
The two teachers and children of Epupa Kindergarten and Pre-Primary School welcomed me with a warmth I have only felt in Epupa. Inside those four walls, I was transported back in time to a hazy childhood classroom: the small chalkboard, days of the week on the walls, distant giggles, and fellow learners scribbling with untamed imagination. I found myself taking a seat between the children to join their morning activity. Observing their drawing, I drew a flower for the little girl seated next to me. Her eyes glimmered as she smiled down at the flower, and then back up at me. Being able to share such a simple yet heartfelt moment with another, brought me fulfilment I would carry with me beyond that classroom.
The school has been a beneficiary of Gondwana Care Trust’s Back-to-School Christmas Bag Project since 2023, where each child receives a personalised school bag with their name on filled with educational materials, like stationery and dictionaries. This project rewards a child for their academic performance, encouraging them to return to participate in the upcoming school year equipped with stationary and a bag, and offers them a small Christmas gift in the form of personal hygiene products, a reading book, sweet treat, toy, or other necessities based on the child’s gender, age, achievements and hobbies.
Namibia, between its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant communities, shoulders its own hardships throughout the country. Due to a variety of socio-economic factors, many Namibian children grow up without their basic human needs met, such as access to healthcare, education, nourishment, and clean water and sanitation. Lack of access to these essentials often present negative implications for a child’s future, inhibiting their inherent gifts and preventing them from pursuing opportunities for greater development.
Observing life in this Himba village, I sense how their traditions have survived the ages. Bringing development opportunities to remote communities can provide upliftment, but in ways that honour and promote cultural preservation. By providing children with opportunities to have some of their basic human needs met in a safe, loving environment during their earliest years, empowers and encourages them to pursue their dreams and have a meaningful impact on the world. As each child hones their own unique gift – a medicine for the world – it becomes no question to nurture their spirit. As I shared in moments with the children of Epupa Kindergarten and Pre-Primary School, my spirit was nurtured by them, and I bade Epupa farewell with a heartfelt longing to return someday soon.
Find out more on how you can support the Gondwana Care Trust as it nurtures the spirits of communities across Namibia.
Author: Monique Tredoux
Photos: Laurent Prieur and Monique Tredoux