An unemployed Rehoboth-based community activist has built a kindergarten that shelters, feeds and educates neglected children, some of whom have been abandoned by their parents.
John Khachab (58) built El-Roi kindergarten in 2016 after witnessing cases of child neglect at Rehoboth.
He says he has even seen children at shebeens drinking alcohol – some alone and some with their parents.
Because of this, he decided to build a kindergarten and shelter.
Three children who are eight, nine and 10 years old are currently housed at the kindergarten.
Khachab says he took the children in despite having no source of income.
“Child neglect at Rehoboth has been an issue for many years,” he says.
He acknowledges that many parents are struggling to take care of their children due to the high unemployment rate at the town.
Some children are left in the care of relatives who do not take care of them, he says.
“The three children we are accommodating right now were left by their father, who now lives in Windhoek. He left them with someone, but because there was no proper care at home, they started roaming the streets. I took them in,” he says.
Khachab, who is unemployed himself, runs the kindergarten with his wife (55) and daughter (37) with the contributions of parents whose children are enrolled at the facility.
“We allow the children of parents who cannot afford to pay the N$150 or N$200 monthly fee to receive education for free,” he says.
Khachab says sometimes he gets donations of around N$500 from banks such as Bank Windhoek and FNB Namibia to help with running the kindergarten.
Some 87 children aged below five are currently enrolled at the kindergarten, he says.
Khachab says children who do not have lunch boxes are also fed at his facility.
“We feed them instant maize meal we get from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare,” he says.
With the help of German volunteers, Khachab also hosts a soup kitchen every Friday, feeding about 300 children.
“The German sponsors buy 4l of milk, 2kg of sugar, and maize meal for children who do not have food,” he says.
Community member Alison Vries says she believes the kindergarten has a positive impact on the community as it provides a safe and nurturing environment for children, especially those from vulnerable backgrounds.
She says it supports their early learning, social development and overall well-being while also giving parents and guardians peace of mind knowing their children are cared for.
“Every child deserves stability, protection, and opportunities to grow, and such initiatives can make a meaningful difference in their lives and futures,” she says.
