On Friday, 20 October 2023, the Kindergarten Netzwerk Namibia (Kindergarten Network Namibia) celebrated the publication of their brochure together with various instances and contacts from educational institutions and counselling centres.
This brochure was a result of several months of cooperation with AGDS, an organisation that also supported the project financially. "Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the German-language educational opportunities in Namibia, to support parents in their search for childcare facilities and, above all, to ensure equal opportunities for each facility. Another important aspect is the networking of the different facilities and kindergartens," explains Heide Zirzow (Head of Bärchenhöhle), who founded the network in 2020 together with Kathrin Schmid Hhead of DHPS Kindergarten) and Kathleen Romeis (Head of Kammis Kinderwelt).
The network has grown from a modest concept of sharing challenges during the pandemic to a nationwide institution that facilitates training, organises meetings between different institutions, advocates for the early childhood sector at the Dieter Esslinger Educators' Seminar and now also acts as a first point of contact for parents.
"This is an important milestone for the German-speaking community, as it can now also be a valuable partner for families in their search online." The brochure can be downloaded at https://agdsnamibia.com/kindergarten-netzwerk/. It is also available as an A5 booklet in all German-speaking kindergartens and at the AGDS office. A compact overview that summarises where to go for information, what is on offer and which German-speaking kindergartens there are in the country is a valuable addition to this field. This voluntary effort benefits everyone, and we eagerly anticipate our upcoming projects”, was one of the remarks at the opening speech.
"I am delighted give you a glimpse of the AGDS and its collaboration with the Kindergarten Netzwerk.
The AGDS has a history dating back to 1956, with our central mission remaining the promotion of the German language in schools, with a strong focus on German as a mother tongue.
At our strategy meeting in November 2022, we discussed several important goal components, including:

• Strengthening the cooperation among our member schools.
• Providing support in the area of German as a mother-tongue (DaM) through further training
• The shortage of teachers in the DaM field

- Revision of the scholarship programme
- Revision of previous support measures and projects
- Concept for supporting kindergartens
One of the clear outcomes from our strategy meeting was the importance of promoting German as a mother tongue, already in kindergarten. We are so grateful that contact has been established with the Kindergarten Netzwerk this year and that we can support this project with the brochure. The Kindergarten Netzwerk offers a platform for networking all German-speaking kindergartens in Namibia. This network enables even small, rural kindergartens to become a part of the big picture. The kindergartens can exchange ideas and support each other. They can participate in training courses, such as this weekend with Jenny Sorbet.”
explained Sonja Pack, chairperson of the AGDS, who also introduced the new AGDS website that can be explored at https://agdsnamibia.com/.
On Saturday 21 October, the programme continued with a training event for which more than 40 participants from all over Namibia had registered. "When planning the event, it became clear how important networking is," says Kathrin Schmid. "Often we are not aware of the expertise and valuable resources in our own country. Events like the Dieter Esslingen Teachers' Seminar foster conversations and create excellent opportunities."
On the network's agenda are other projects, information events and training courses that are organised, planned and carried out by the network on a voluntary basis. “Our passion is to increase the value of early childhood education, to advocate for our profession and to tackle and overcome the daily challenges together," says Kathleen Romeis. " It's about cohesion and supporting one another."
The 3 dedicated minds behind the project proudly presented the brochure and were delighted about the exchange and networking among the attendees. The common tenor at the end of the evening was that it is enriching to work for the society and all are looking forward to the tasks ahead.