News from the Mother House

rains have come

Rains have come to Namibia, ending the worst drought in 100 years!

The people of Namibia are rejoicing that abundant rains have finally come, ending one of the worst droughts the country has seen in 100 years. Although rains have come to the drought stricken country, the jubilation is tempered by the hunger and starvation that continue as the population waits for new crops to be sown and eventually harvested.

Intense rainfall brought relief to the Sanctuary land and was a source of excitement for the children and staff.

The garden’s shade net (greenhouse) was not built to withstand an intense hailstorm and sustained some damage during the storm.

Celebrating Success! Three wonderful years at home in the Mother House! The third anniversary of the opening of the CSN Mother House was joyously celebrated on March 9th. The Soup Kitchen volunteers joined the staff and children and all enjoyed a wonderful meal and sang songs of joy and gratitude.

Feasting is always a big part of any celebration at the Mother House!

Who is currently living and working at the Mother House?

As of March 2025, the Mother House was home to 19 children, nine boys and ten girls. Two of the younger girls have special needs, requiring additional care. One of them, “L”, is supported by a caregiver from the organization “Light for Children”, while the other, “S”, receives care from the housemothers at CSN.

The Mother House is home to a diverse team, each with a unique role crucial to the children’s well-being. The team includes the manager, Belinda Tsuses, who oversees the operations, and two housemothers: Viktoria, who provides care and guidance to the boys, and Wilhemina, for the girls. Zuma and Johannes are responsible for maintaining the outdoor spaces, ensuring a safe and pleasant environment for the children, while Rooi assists part-time in the garden, fostering a love for nature in the children.

65% of the children in the Sanctuary are from Drimiopsis, and 35% are from surrounding areas. Many of the children from the hinterland are migratory, sometimes living with family on farms or with relatives in other locations. Some live on the streets, and most have no proper places to call “home”. They are picked up by social workers or referred to the Ministry and need immediate intervention. In this regard, the Mother House truly functions as a home of safety, providing a beacon of hope for these children from diverse and challenging backgrounds.

The CSNS Board is so grateful to be part of this project and this love in action. We want to emphasize that your donations and support have made a significant difference in the lives of the children at the Mother House. We thank all those who have contributed to the building and operation of the Mother House over the years. Your ongoing generosity truly humbles us!

Sanveld Kindergarten Celebrates 10 years!

The Sanveld Kindergarten celebrated its 10th anniversary in March. Since 2017, CSNS donations have provided two daily meals for the children attending. This successful kindergarten has seen a steady increase in students and now has an enrollment of 65 children! We congratulate the staff and children on this remarkable achievement.

Above, early kindergarten graduates have come back to share in the celebration and cut the anniversary cake.

Soup Kitchen Update. The CSN Soup Kitchen continues to see many hungry children coming 2-3 times a week for a meal. While the number of children receiving a meal varies, Soup Kitchen volunteers report that the number of children served typically is over 200. CSNS donations purchase the food for the Soup Kitchen, and we are pleased to announce that a recent appeal for new pots was successful and timely, given the need, giving us hope for the future.

In early March, a World Food Program (WFP) delegation visited the CSN Sanctuary to investigate the possibility of starting a WFP Soup Kitchen program on site. We are hopeful this will happen. If approved, the program would feed children in Drimiopsis and the surrounding area aged 5 months to 9 years and would likely amalgamate with the existing CSN Soup Kitchen.

Above, some children are in line waiting for a soup kitchen meal.

The Mother House celebrated the 35th Independence Day by walking through the community and having a traditional Namibian meal of sheep head and internal organs with porridge or pap. Of course, there was a little dancing and singing, too!

A Foundation Laid

The original plans for the CSN Sanctuary include five satellite homes to provide additional housing for the children. The Windhoek Sports Club of Namibia has partnered with CSN to begin construction of the first satellite home. Here is a picture of the foundation for the first satellite home. This 8 x 13-meter building will house 10 children and a housemother when completed. In December, CSNS purchased a concrete mixer to make bricks for the building project.

Architect’s Plans

This picture shows the architect’s plans for the satellite building. There is a great need for additional housing for the children.

The cement mixer was used to resurface the Mother House's veranda floor.

What are the ramifications of the cancellation of US Aid? According to the Namibian Civil Society Non-State Actors Network (NamNet)… USAID played a critical role in strengthening economic growth, trade, food security, energy, water, environmental protection, and most significantly the health sector. The sudden withdrawal of this suport now disrupts life-saving interventions such as antiretroviral therapy, community-based healthcare and outreach programs targeting vulnerable and marginalized populations. Hence, this is not just a “lack of funding” issue but a direct and immediate threat to lives of Namibians.

Helge Mercker, our CSNS Agent in Namibia, says, “The withdrawal of US aid is a major concern for Namibia as most of the HIV and AIDs patients will be affected.” The patients rely on the aid for medication and many other projects around HIV and AIDs, such as prevention programs, will also be affected. She worries, “We have so many children being born with the disease. It is very difficult to cope without additional help.”

CSNS congratulates H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on her election as the 5th President of the Republic of Namibia. She is the first woman to hold this position and visited the Sanctuary in 2023. May her presidency be deeply blessed!

A New Soup Kitchen!

csn’s new soup kitchen

Makes it easier for the soup kitchen volunteers to serve more children.

Some of the children being served a meal at CSN’s new soup kitchen.

The three year drought has brought high levels of malnutrition to the Drimiopsis community and Omaheke region where CSNS’ support programs are located. According to CSN Manager Belinda Tsuses, the numbers of hungry children receiving a soup kitchen meal has more than doubled over past years. The number of hungry children served varies day to day—some days 145 children are served, other days the numbers are much higher with up to 200 children receiving meals. Depending on resources, the soup kitchen volunteers prepare meals 2-3 times per week.

CSNS has responded to this increased need by funding a larger and more efficient facility which includes sinks, a place for a stove, a toilet, a storage area for supplies, and a shaded area where the children can come for soup kitchen meals. We are seeking donations to equip the kitchen with pots, utensils and a gas stove.

We hope you enjoy the following pictures of CSN’s new soup kitchen!

The volunteers enjoy using the double sink in the new kitchen.

The Soup Kitchen volunteers who prepare the meals and serve the hungry children.

A new toilet is available for the volunteers and children to use.

“Thank you” Zuma, Johannes, Willy and all who worked on this project! “Thank you” donors for making it all possible!

Moving Forward with Garden Expansion, Soup Kitchen Numbers Grow

Your donations have helped make the following additions possible! Thank you for your support.

Solar Water Pump

Water is wealth, security, and life!

April 25th brought solar panels and a solar-powered water pumping system. CSN Manager Belinda Tsuses reports the system is running “perfectly well” and automatically pumps water. This is a great time saver for Groundskeepers Zuma and Johannes, who are turning their efforts to other needed projects, such as expanding the gardens and making bricks for a new soup kitchen. The solar-powered pump also saves CSN petrol costs.

Shade Netting/ Greenhouse Installed

June brought the arrival of a new greenhouse.

The shade netting/greenhouse is 2.5 m tall and 15m x 30m in size. Shown here is a winter crop of spinach. It is hoped that our CSN gardeners (Joel Zuma and Johannes Kafuru) will receive further assistance/instruction from the Ministry of Agriculture or a local farmers group.

Excitingly, the planting of a citrus orchard is also underway.

Soup Kitchen News

Since this picture was taken last year, the number of children fed through CSN’s soup kitchen has swelled. CSN assists in fighting malnutrition in Drimiopsis, the constituency, and the region. Our agent in Namibia, Helge Mercker, reports, “The Omaheke region (where Drimiopsis is located) is declared as the highest rate of child malnutrition and child death due to starvation in the country. Thus, we will do all we can to help hungry children. At times, we have over 200 children coming for a meal three times per week.”

Belinda Tsuses, the CSN Manager, reports 180+ children receive a regular soup kitchen meal three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. CSN is grateful to the Soup Kitchen volunteers who prepare the meal in large pots over an open fire.

The drought in Southern Africa will affect 24 million people this year—the worst in 100 years. In April, the Governor’s office donated food to CSN, but food donations have been sporadic since then.

A new Soup Kitchen Begins

A new soup kitchen is planned to accommodate the increased number of children receiving a meal from the soup kitchen. The land has been cleared, and Zuma and Johannes have started making bricks for the structure, which will include a shaded area for the waiting children. CSN hopes to purchase a gas stove to replace the traditional way of gathering wood to cook over an open fire.

CSNS President's Report for 2023 by Terry Adler

We thank you for being here. We are deeply grateful for your support. You have taken the most vulnerable children of Drimiopsis into your hearts and you have given material support for 18 children to experience a safe and loving home, for other at-risk children in the community to be fed regular meals at the Soup Kitchen and for the local kindergarten to continue to feed their students two meals a day. Thank you so much.

The Mother House, our first sanctuary and home, opened on March 5, 2022. Photos taken of the children moving in that day show anxiety and fear on their small faces. A year later, March 2023, their expressions are joyful in response to the life they are living.

The opening of the Mother House and the publicity efforts made by our wonderful Manager, Belinda Tsuses, ignited great interest throughout the Omeheke region and the country For example, a resort nearby to Drimiopsis donated a year’s supply of toiletries, cleaning and laundry powders. Another example, In June of 2023, just in time for the new school term, Mrs. Prasad a native of Namibia now residing in India, saw an article about the Sanctuary and donated leather shoes for every child. To the delight of the children, they were delivered by a police officer and his son riding a motorcycle, who drove 245 kilometres from the capital of Windhoek. These events show the children they are valued and cared about not only by the devoted House Mothers, but by many others outside of their community. Local businesses plus Ministries donate food periodically, augmenting the children’s diet and reducing food costs at the Mother House and the Soup Kitchen.

CSNS Hosts the International Day of the African Child.

June 16th is the International Day of the African Child, honouring the hundreds of South African children massacred in Soweto in 1976 during a march for their rights. In response to a request fromo the Governor of the region, the Sanctuary hosted a celebration on June 24th. Many attended, officials from the Ministry of Education and other Ministries, as well as social workers of the Omeheke region, along with 500 children. Sanctuary staff and community volunteers helped organize and run the event, making it a great success and generating good will and respect for the Sanctuary.

Other highlights of the past year included successful school experiences for every child, with three graduating from kindergarten and three in primary school being awared certificates in recognition of their high grades. The older children thrived in school as well, making friendships and excelling in learning. The most recent addition to the Mother House five-year-old S, who has Cerebral Palsy, has become a favourite of the other children, who enjoy playing and talking with her. Unsurprisingly, S’s language skills and mobility have greatly improved. The staff receive regular guidance from professionals in learning how to care for S’s special needs, to help her reach her fullest potential.

For two weeks in 2023, one week early in the year, the other later, the South African church that supports Reverend Jeremiah Molestani (Chair of the CSN board), sponsored two groups of youth to visit the Mother House. They spent the whole time in contribution, playing with the children, painting the playground equipment, cleaning and decorating the dining room, enriching the children’s lives and enhancing their environment. Farewells were tearful!

Staff and volunteers proudly display their certificates in first aide. This was part of the certification process as a residential child care facility.

Another significant achievement was the certification of the Mother House as a registered childcare facility. This certification makes it possible to apply for and attain guardianship status for five of the eighteen children in the Mother House. Such an application is now being prepared under the guidance of CSN board member Lazarus Musambani. Once granted, it will permit the Ministry to contribute modest monthly financial support for each of the five children.

The year ended with an outstanding Christmas season. The staff poured their love onto the children. Photos taken show how wonderfully they succeeded in creating a memorable Christmas. To augment donations received from CSNS, the staff held a fundraiser by preparing braai plates of barbequed meats for purchase by Drimiopsis residents. The money raised allowed the staff to make Christmas extra special.

Children line up for a Soup Kitchen meal on the Sanctuary grounds.

We are thankful for how our many supporters loyally respond to the children’s needs. We are thankful that we continue to receive what is required to pay the operating costs of the Mother House, fund the meals for the kindergarten (55 children), and keep the Soup Kitchen going (75 or more children). Our vision for the future includes continued expansion of and improvements to the gardens and increasing the number of homes for children.

The CSN Board continues to pressure government officials to implement the Ombudsman’s request to install solar power necessary to meet present and future needs. A start has been made of 5 kilowatts that provide power for the Mother House lighting and refrigerator. Additonal solar panels are needed to power other electronics including computers, as well as lighting and appliances for the future homes that will secure many more vulnerable children of Drimiopsis who are now without adequate care, food and shelter.

The 2023 CSNS board.

As I step down as President of the board of CSNS into the Vice-President role, I reflect on the blessings I have experienced since 2018 by initiating its formation and achieving its charitable status. The foremost blessing came in the superb people who agreed to be part of the founding board, Betty Owen, Judy Dunbar, and Diane Mawson, all contributing mightily to progress made in the past six years.  

Diane, who recently left the board yet continues as a volunteer, created the project “Pops for Namibia” which sells popsicles at her primary school. The one-dollar profit from each sale buys 10 meals for a child in Drimiopsis. The project continues to generate much needed funds to feed orphaned and vulnerable children year-round.  

Betty took on the daunting role of Treasurer, teaching herself how to keep books, liaise with our accountant and speak the language of numbers. When Betty resigned from this role last year, Judy successfully went through a similar learning curve with Betty’s support and is now our competent Treasurer. Judy also mastered skills necessary for contributing to and updating our website. Two years ago, we were blessed by the addition of Yvonne Detroye to our board. Yvonne, with her heart of love, is a perfect fit whose skills as a hostess of house concerts greatly augment our fundraising capability.  

A laptop is donated to Agent/Board Member, Helge Mercker (far right).

As our agent in Namibia, Helge Mercker has been a vital part of our board from the start, inspiring us with her vision and liaising between our board and the Children’s Sanctuary Namibia board that she, Theresa Matengu, and Chief Ita Kambases founded in 2013. Helge’s research on orphaned and vulnerable children in Drimiopsis, submitted to the Namibian government, was the basis for CSN obtaining charitable status and being granted 4.5 hectares of land on which to build homes for the children.

CSN Manager, Belinda Tsuses with Grandmother Chief Ita.

 In February 2022 on the recommendation of Lazarus and Helge, the CSN board hired Belinda Tsuses as Manager. She has done wonderful work to build relationships with Ministries, publicize the Sanctuary locally and nationally, elicit donations of goods and services, and contribute to staff training. She plays a key role on our team! 

The loving, collaborative relationships we enjoy with one another, our ongoing learning as we work together, the positive impact on the lives of children and community members made by our two boards, continually inspire and reward us.

 All our achievements are possible because of our ever-growing network of supporters for whom we are immensely grateful! The best is yet to come, so we invite you to stay with us and witness all the positive changes that your loving support makes possible! 

Solar Power Comes to the Mother House!

The Namibian government funded the installation of solar panels (5kw) on the roof of the Mother House. This wonderful gift overjoys the staff and children!

Lights are on in the kitchen!

The Mother House lit up at night.

While the 5 kilowatts of power are a good start, additional solar panels are needed to power other electronics and appliances. The budget for a solar-driven water pumping system has been raised; the CSN board is awaiting the availability of the installer.