Hardap governor McNab backs Mariental’s Withuis kindergarten with Teviva Trading

Hardap governor Riaan McNab has supported the expansion of a Mariental informal settlement kindergarten founded by caregiver Lena Garoes.

McNab partnered with Teviva Trading to expand the Hardap //Uib Kindergarten at Withuis informal settlement on the outskirts of Mariental.

The governor earlier this week during the handover of the completed project emphasised the importance of early childhood development (ECD) centres, particularly in informal communities.

“It is important that every child has access to ECD. This is where the foundation of learning is laid. When I visited Withuis and saw what Ms Garoes was doing despite the challenges, I was deeply impressed.

“A strong foundation in early education has the potential to uplift entire communities,” McNab said.

The handover marked a significant milestone for Garoes, who began her journey as a self-taught caregiver, teaching children from zero to six years old how to read and write in her community.

Garoes said she started with this journey in 2014.

“I started with what I had, building a small shack to shelter the children,” she said. In 2017, the number of children grew to 31, and the limited space became a challenge.

“Some of the children had to sit outside during lessons. I charged between N$5 and N$10, sometimes N$100, but many parents could not afford even that. Still, I continued teaching.”

Despite limited resources, Garoes continued her work until she received support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare in the form of a monthly N$1 500 allowance.

However, the growing demand for space remained a challenge until the recent expansion.

Teviva Trading funded the project with approximately N$36 000 and completed the construction of the new facility within two days.

Recognised as an ECD centre, the kindergarten was initially a modest shack, but has since been transformed into a larger one-room classroom made from concreted iron, providing a safer and more suitable environment for early learning.

The newly upgraded centre currently accommodates 26 children.

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