Planning
In the spring of 2023, during a general conference, the ERASMUS representative of the vocational schools in Stadthagen (approximately 50 km west of Hanover) announced a colleague's upcoming internship in Canada. This announcement sparked Silke Pingpank’s idea of visiting DHPS Windhoek as part of the teacher mobility programme.
Mr Matthias Menges was immediately enthusiastic to participate, while, after some persuasion, Dr Thorsten Strübe was won over and stood in for a colleague. The most crucial aspect of all the formalities and applications was the accreditation of DHPS as an Erasmus school and an invitation for us to carry out a project. In consultation with Ms Prinz, the topics of "Strength training with your own body weight and a healthy protein supply" was selected for grades 8, 9 and 10.

Realisation
Our stay began on 2 March 2024 with a settling-in weekend in Windhoek. The following Monday, Principal Mr Przybilla welcomed us warmly to DHPS, while Ms Prinz showed us around the campus. First impressions: Our first positive impression of the school became even stronger over the following two weeks. The project started on Tuesday with Ms Pingpank accompanying half of the learning group to the gym. Prior to this, most of the classes had completed a performance test with their PE teachers to give the learners an idea of their current strength levels for the large muscle groups. During the workshop, individual support was provided based on current ability, so that the body workout could be divided into three performance groups. The other half of the learning group was evenly split between the two kitchens in the Ritterburg. Under the guidance of Mr Menges, the learners prepared chia pudding, energy balls and a milkshake. The aim was to produce a supplementary, protein-rich, healthy, quick and inexpensive diet for athletes without artificial additives. In the other kitchen, Mr Strübe showed the learners how to make lip balm from simple ingredients as an alternative to Vaseline and other lip care products. In the second week, the groups swapped stations, so that every learner could enjoy both parts of the project.
We responded spontaneously to a request and gave a short introduction to the topic of "Sports nutrition and the biological value of proteins" (Ms Pingpank and Dr Prinz) and a practical demonstration of a preparation of a milkshake (Mr Menges and Mr Strübe) in grade 11.

Reflection
Our conclusion on the first project of teachers from BBS Stadthagen at the DHPS Windhoek can be summarised as an all-round success. We were impressed by the motivation of the learners and colleagues to engage in something new and had great fun working together. When comparing DHPS to our school, we found that there are specific types of teachers and schools here just like there ;-)
A very big thank you for the many experiences and great time with you under the Namibian sun at a really fantastic school!