PROJECT-SUPPORT NAMIBIA

Association Mudiro, Zurich, Switzerland

Country

Namibia

Namibia is a country in southern Africa between Angola, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean. Namibia is the second most sparsely populated country in the world due to the large area of the Namib (desert along the southwest coast of Africa). The name of the state of Namibia is derived from the Namib Desert. The capital and largest city of the state is Windhoek. The country has about 2.3 million inhabitants.

General

The Association Mudiro ensures access to postgraduate medical training for local doctors and health professionals in northern Namibia, along the Kavango River. They work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, local hospitals, and health facilities.

Treatments on site: With the 4×4 Mobile Clinic vehicles, they spend seven days per month in the bush, helping people who have health problems and cannot make it to the hospital on their own.

Education and training: On average, there are 20 doctors and health professionals who find their way from Switzerland and Germany to the city of Andara every year, where they share and exchange their knowledge with the local specialists.

Beneficiaries

Mudiro operates in the north of Namibia, along the Kavango River, on the border with Angola. Around 200’000 people live in this area in more than 2’600 villages. The regional capital, Rundu, is the second largest city in Namibia with about 90’000 inhabitants.

In Namibia, two thirds of the population are younger than 30 years. Early childhood development, nurturing, and education, as well as proper nutrition, have a large impact on the health and prosperity of a population. It is crucial that children have good health care and enough opportunities to play and learn, so that they can develop their full potential later in life.

Project-support

Project: Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) / Kindergartens

The association focuses on the criteria of vulnerability and high population and aims to provide access to IECD for almost 1'000 children to significantly improve their development. Mudiro cooperates with the communities, schools, and the University of Namibia.

Mudiro has been building these childcare facilities since 2014 in close cooperation with local workers from the villages. This creates added value in places where unemployment is high. The association chooses the locations together with the ministries and social workers of the Kavango region. The kindergartens are built where the children are already cared for by trained local staff.  

The kindergartens have 42 m2 of indoor space, sanitary facilities outside, and are equipped with furniture, educational material, and toys. Mudiro is responsible for the supervision, material procurement and logistics. Construction is conducted with the villagers and an experienced local construction manager. The bricks are produced locally with the existing clay soil, thereby also generating income.

The young children are thus given a place where they are challenged and encouraged with a given daily structure under the care of the local professional staff. Working parents can leave their children in good hands at the day care centre and continue to generate income, which means food for many families.