The Sonnenkinderprojekt Namibia e.V. organizes an annual student exchange between the Namib High School in Swakopmund and the SKP partner schools of the Gymnasium Sulingen (until the Covid-19 crisis) and the Oberschule Varrel. The partnership between Namib High School and Oberschule Varrel was renewed in 2023 with the initiation trips. Delegations from both schools traveled to the other country for this purpose. This was supported by Engagement Global – Service for Development Initiatives – with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development from the ENSA program. The aim is the intensive exchange of knowledge and the transfer of skills in nature conservation and environmental protection.
As the decision-makers and consumers of tomorrow, schoolchildren have the most important role to play here. The aim is to get them interested in the topics of climate, climate change, energy saving and renewable energies at an early stage. At the same time, this should promote the ability to engage in dialog with people from different cultures, mutual understanding and learning from one another.
Since 2015, the Sonnenkinderprojekt has held climate workshops in Germany and Namibia to consolidate the North-South partnership for climate protection. The aim is to strengthen the climate and environmental awareness of the participating students. In addition, as “climate scouts”, the students are to be given the awareness and skills to pass on what they have learned to their classmates, but also to other people.
Through the commitment of young people, we hope to sensitize the younger generation to become more involved in climate protection. Concrete results from the climate workshops are presented in a bilingual report (English-German) by the students for other students. In addition, the participants of the climate workshop prepare a climate project day at their school, in which all students work on relevant topics or participate in specific projects after an introduction.
Photos: Encounter trips 2023 Swakopmund / Varrel
