CSNS board members Louise Ndungula (far left), Judy Dunbar (left back row), Yvonne de Troye and Debra Taylor (centre row) with CSN founding directors, Theresa Matengu and Ita Kambases, with CSN’s Zuma (groundskeeper/front centre), Lydia (housemother for the girls, far right), and back row Johannes (gardening assistant).
In late May 2026, four members of the Children's Sanctuary Namibia Society travelled from Vancouver Canada, to Namibia. We met up with Helge Merker, our Namibian agent and co-founder of the Sanctuary. We then spent several days travelling from Gobabis, the nearest town that could accommodate us, to Drimiopisis, some 45 km northeast.
Judy Dunbar was the only one of the Canadians who had previously visited the grounds, in 2019, and was awestruck by what our financial support has helped create over the years.
Upon arrival, all the children and adults who live and work at the Sanctuary were gathered in the courtyard and performed a welcoming song and dance that lifted our spirits. What struck me immediately and deeply was the pure joy, love, and sense of family, of belonging that radiated from each child. My immense gratitude flows to San Chief Ita and Helge Mercker, and Theresa Matengu who transformed a simple soup kitchen into a remarkable, permanent (to age 18) home for 20 orphaned and/or abandoned children. Theresa, who started the community soup kitchen in her home many years ago, still volunteers at our new site.
At the same time, the Sanctuary continues to offer twice-weekly soup kitchen service to the children and elders of the greater community. Despite a sad lack of funding to make manifest the hopes and dreams for the Sanctuary, the children in residence are well cared for. Even the two most handicapped greeted us daily with love, joy, and brilliant smiles. It is likely they would not be alive today if not for the care and attention given them at our Sanctuary.
Part of CSN’s vegetable garden, tended by Zuma and Johannes, his assistant.
The amazing Zuma has worked tirelessly with a few other men to create and maintain a large veggie garden. It stands out like an oasis in an otherwise mostly sandy land. Several fruit trees have been planted, and it is easy to imagine a future of food security and sustainability.
Preparing a special dish for the barbecue. From left to right: Louise (Canadian board member), with housemothers Veronica and Viktoria. In rear, Belinda (CSN manager).
Having brought several large suitcases filled with donations of clothing, shoes, toiletries, books and gardening tools, we felt like St Nick when the gifts were revealed. What a joy it was to witness both the children and their caregivers receiving these gifts. In addition, a couple of generous donors sent cash for purchasing special foods with which we created two very extravagant meals. Meat is rarely available, so we had a barbecue one day and spaghetti bolognese on another. I could hardly believe the quantities of food these little people ingested. Not a crumb was left on anyone's plate. Our newest board member, Louise, a native Namibian now living in Canada, put her culinary skills to work helping prepare the meals. On our last day, the soup kitchen served a hearty lentil and vegetable soup and a gigantic pot of rice to more than 100 local community children and a few of the elder women who care for them.
Louise and Viktoria at the barbecue.
Busy preparing food in the kitchen of the Mother House.
Nearing completion is a second family home that will accommodate eight more children. The available funding is not sufficient to bring the construction into livable form. Also in need of funding is a safe playground. Children need the exercise and joy that a playground offers and what currently exists is falling apart, rusty, and inadequate. Helge has been studying other playgrounds and is formulating a plan for an overhaul and expansion when funding arrives.
While at the Sanctuary, we were delighted to be included in a meeting of the Namibian CSN Board of Directors. After conducting their business of the day, we each had an opportunity to share our impressions of the current state of things and what we wanted to see happen going forward. It was a beautifully co-ordinated and co-operative meeting that gave us all a better understanding of how we can continue working together in support of the children and their caregivers.
Our overall impression is that we are indeed doing something wonderful for these abandoned and orphaned children. Gratitude flows to everyone who has supported and is supporting the raising of the Children's Sanctuary Namibia