Margret is devoted to helping San children
Since 2015, DACHSER and the children's relief organization terre des Hommes have been committed to helping the children of the San people (also known as Bushmen) lead better, more independent lives. Education is an essential component – and 24-year-old Margret Hans is doing all she can to add it to the equation.
The coronavirus lockdown was a tough blow to the people of Namibia. Hit hardest by its impact were the schoolchildren of the San. Due to their lack of access to the Internet, a large number of them were unable to attend online classes. The resulting interruptions in their academic careers exacerbated the inequalities that already existed within the education system, as well as in every other aspect of their lives.
Young adults from the communities, therefore, joined a volunteer program set up to help San students with their schoolwork during the lockdown. The project is sponsored by DACHSER and Terre des Hommes’ local partner organization. One of the volunteers is 24-year-old Margret Hans, who was once herself sponsored by a similar project and, with the support of DACHSER and Terre des Hommes, managed to complete an apprenticeship in the tourism sector.
Unstoppable, also in tough times
Due to the coronavirus lockdowns and the absence of vacationers, she had lost her job as a waitress in a lodge, but this did not stop her from having a positive impact on the lives of others. Margret currently leads a team of 9 volunteer homework helpers in the town of Tsintsabis. “Tutoring a pupil has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It might sound like a cliché, but I honestly believe that I get almost more out of it than my students do. It just feels good to do my bit, as well, and help these young people develop positively.”
For the most part, San children grow up in difficult circumstances. The oldest group of indigenous people in southern Africa, the San generally live in severe poverty on the grounds of enormous farms or in slum-like settlements on the outskirts of small towns. The aim of the project work in the three communities of Outjo, Oshivelo, and Tsintsabis in northern Namibia is to provide early education and ongoing support to enable children to attend regular elementary school. Practical vocational training is also offered, particularly to girls, to prepare them for jobs in hotels and lodges, as well as in the trades.
