Buy a calendar, feed a child

BIRGIT Meier-Mundhenke, a German citizen, saw the poverty in the informal settlements on the outskirts of Windhoek and called on German citizens through the Mindener Tagesblatt newspaper to donate money and other goods.

The response was overwhelming and has still not subsided. In 2005 she founded the Pinocchio for Africa’s Children organisation, which has since made a huge impact on the lives of the woman and children living in the informal settlements.The organisation supports kindergarten in Katutura which accommodates about 35 children.It has also partnered up with the Hope Initiative and feeds around 200 children at the soup kitchen daily.Eight families from Katutura are sponsored by German families on a monthly basis.These families consist mostly of single mothers and their children, who were identified by members of the community as the most needy.Pinocchio for Africa’s Children is currently training 15 women in early childhood development.The women are taught to look use whatever resources they have at their disposal to teach children.Next year the same group will receive further training.”The women are extremely eager to learn,” says Meier-Mundhenke.Last year a calendar was printed to raise funds for the organisation.A calendar for 2008 has just been released and over 1 000 have already been sold in countries like Germany, Canada, Italy, Portugal and Korea.The calendar contains Oshiwambo proverbs – chosen by women from the Hope Initiative Project – translated into English and German.The main photo on the calendar is a Namibian landscape, and portraits of the children and women who benefit from the organisation are printed on each page.The calendars can be ordered from www.afrikaskinder.de or by calling 081 337 7482.They cost N$90.All proceeds from the sale of calendars will go towards the construction of an Early Childhood Development Centre in the Kilimanjaro informal settlement.In 2005 she founded the Pinocchio for Africa’s Children organisation, which has since made a huge impact on the lives of the woman and children living in the informal settlements.The organisation supports kindergarten in Katutura which accommodates about 35 children.It has also partnered up with the Hope Initiative and feeds around 200 children at the soup kitchen daily.Eight families from Katutura are sponsored by German families on a monthly basis.These families consist mostly of single mothers and their children, who were identified by members of the community as the most needy.Pinocchio for Africa’s Children is currently training 15 women in early childhood development.The women are taught to look use whatever resources they have at their disposal to teach children.Next year the same group will receive further training.”The women are extremely eager to learn,” says Meier-Mundhenke.Last year a calendar was printed to raise funds for the organisation.A calendar for 2008 has just been released and over 1 000 have already been sold in countries like Germany, Canada, Italy, Portugal and Korea.The calendar contains Oshiwambo proverbs – chosen by women from the Hope Initiative Project – translated into English and German.The main photo on the calendar is a Namibian landscape, and portraits of the children and women who benefit from the organisation are printed on each page.The calendars can be ordered from www.afrikaskinder.de or by calling 081 337 7482.They cost N$90.All proceeds from the sale of calendars will go towards the construction of an Early Childhood Development Centre in the Kilimanjaro informal settlement.