Haven of care at Rehoboth

THE Lebensschule Rehoboth, a centre for disabled children, has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2002 and with a N$30 000 donation from Bank Windhoek and the help of parents, it is about to acquire its own buildings.

Retired nurse Kathy Hampe founded the Lebensschule Rehoboth (Life School Rehoboth) after identifying a huge need for the care of disabled children there. The children were kept at home, where they did not receive proper stimulation, as there was no centre that looked after children suffering from autism, cerebral palsy and spina bifida.The children had to be taken to Windhoek to receive physiotherapy, an option that was impractical and costly for their parents.The children also placed a huge burden on their families, as one parent always had to stay at home looking after the child.The Lebensschule Rehoboth is currently taking care of 23 children.They receive physiotherapy and take part in stimulating activities.Women from Germany and Windhoek have trained seven volunteers at the school to organise the necessary exercises and activities.The volunteers consist of three deaf girls, three parents and Hampe herself.The early years of the school were very difficult and a permanent building was urgently needed.Since 2002 the school has had to move nine times and through all this, the community has come together and started to share ideas and give advice and support to each other.The parents of disabled children have realised that they are not alone and that their children need to be among others.The community has on many occasions during the first years paid the rent for the school or made available rooms where the children could come for a few months.One of the parents is a builder by profession and in his free time, he, his family and staff have built two classrooms and toilets so that all the money donated by Bank Windhoek goes only towards the buying of materials.Even so, the centre needs more money to complete the roof, flooring and padded wall coverings to protect the children against injury when they fall.Hampe’s dreams do not stop there, however.The school is built near a hot-water spring which feeds the Reho Spa.”If we could tap into that source, we could massage our children in pools filled with the natural, healing hot water,” Hampe says enthusiastically.She says adults with medical conditions and the elderly could also make use of the planned facility, and enjoy more privacy there than at the Reho Spa.When asked why she does what she does, Hampe replied: “I like Rehoboth and the people and I like to help my people, it gives me a purpose.This is the reason I was put on this earth.”The children were kept at home, where they did not receive proper stimulation, as there was no centre that looked after children suffering from autism, cerebral palsy and spina bifida.The children had to be taken to Windhoek to receive physiotherapy, an option that was impractical and costly for their parents.The children also placed a huge burden on their families, as one parent always had to stay at home looking after the child.The Lebensschule Rehoboth is currently taking care of 23 children.They receive physiotherapy and take part in stimulating activities.Women from Germany and Windhoek have trained seven volunteers at the school to organise the necessary exercises and activities.The volunteers consist of three deaf girls, three parents and Hampe herself.The early years of the school were very difficult and a permanent building was urgently needed.Since 2002 the school has had to move nine times and through all this, the community has come together and started to share ideas and give advice and support to each other.The parents of disabled children have realised that they are not alone and that their children need to be among others.The community has on many occasions during the first years paid the rent for the school or made available rooms where the children could come for a few months.One of the parents is a builder by profession and in his free time, he, his family and staff have built two classrooms and toilets so that all the money donated by Bank Windhoek goes only towards the buying of materials.Even so, the centre needs more money to complete the roof, flooring and padded wall coverings to protect the children against injury when they fall.Hampe’s dreams do not stop there, however.The school is built near a hot-water spring which feeds the Reho Spa.”If we could tap into that source, we could massage our children in pools filled with the natural, healing hot water,” Hampe says enthusiastically.She says adults with medical conditions and the elderly could also make use of the planned facility, and enjoy more privacy there than at the Reho Spa.When asked why she does what she does, Hampe replied: “I like Rehoboth and the people and I like to help my people, it gives me a purpose.This is the reason I was put on this earth.”