Thank you for your generous donations, which make our work possible! Our ongoing projects are:
Mother House
The “Mother House,” as it is affectionately known, is CSN’s registered residential childcare facility and is home to 20 of the most vulnerable children in Drimiopsis, along with their caregivers. CSNS is committed to raising funds to cover the orphanage’s ongoing operational costs, including meals, wages for a manager, two full-time and one part-time house mothers, wages for three groundskeepers, medical and school expenses, staff development, and other necessary resources. Your support is crucial to our success, helping vulnerable children find stability and care.
CSNS fundraising contributed significantly to the construction of the building, which includes two dormitories (one for boys and the other for girls), a kitchen, dining room, meeting room, laundry facilities, showers, toilets, storage space, and office space. To learn more about the history and building of the Mother House, please visit the “News” section of the website.
Garden Project
We see this project as twofold: enriching the children’s diet, which is deficient in most nutrients, and providing income to fund the gardens by selling excess produce to community members.
CSNS provided funding to drill a borehole (well), purchase water tanks and stands, and install solar panels for a water pumping system. This vital infrastructure, along with the hiring of three groundsmen (a gardener/handyman and two gardening assistants), has enabled us to establish Indigenous and vegetable gardens, as well as an orchard. The latest addition is a greenhouse or shade net measuring 2.5 m x 30 m x 15 m, reflecting our ongoing commitment to development.
Soup Kitchen
The Omaheke region, where CSN is located, currently has the highest rate of child malnutrition in the country. Through its soup kitchen, CSN is making a significant difference in the lives of the children in Drimiopsis and the region. Over the past decade, with the help of a group of dedicated women volunteers, CSN has provided nutritious meals to 150-250 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) two to three times a week. The volunteers prepare a meal of lentil soup, mealie meal, or rice in an outdoor kitchen on the Sanctuary Land.
CSNS provided the funds needed to build a new structure for the soup kitchen. The new structure includes sinks, a toilet, and a shaded area where the village children can come for soup and kitchen meals. CSNS provides funding to buy food for the soup kitchen and to pay honoraria to its volunteers.
Sanctuary Staff
CSNS is proud to pay the wages for CSN’s fantastic staff. From left to right: Zuma (gardener/handyman), Katrina (housemother for the girls), Viktoria (housemother for the boys), Wilhelmina and Lydia (soup kitchen volunteers), and Johannes (gardener’s assistant). In the middle is Belinda Tsuses (manager), and in front is Chief Ita (board member and grandmother to all the children). Thank you for your incredible work!
Tutoring Program
The academic performance of many children in our care remains a significant concern. To address this challenge, we are establishing a dedicated after-school tutoring program to provide academic support and homework assistance, build literacy and numeracy skills, and improve educational outcomes. This program is a lifeline for these children, providing them with the support they need to succeed. Our new tutor, Beneliza Anton, lives in Gobabis and travels to Drimiopsis to tutor our children at the Mother House. CSNS welcomes your donations to support this vital program, which helps cover Beneliza’s modest monthly salary and transportation costs. Right: Florinda Goagoses, tutors children who need extra help.
New Family Unit
The construction of the first family unit is well underway, adjacent to the Mother House. We continue to work on this future home for eight vulnerable children and a housemother as funds permit.
Dedicated volunteers help the orphaned and vulnerable children line up for a meal at the soup kitchen.
Founding members of CSN: Theresa Matengu & Chief Ita Kambases.
other Initiatives
A NEW LAND PARCEL - CSN was allocated a new parcel of land adjacent to our current sanctuary. As funds allow, CSN will develop the land to include early childhood development facilities, tutoring classrooms, visitor accommodation, community engagement programs, and space for future expansion of child-focused services. This development will strengthen community impact while creating opportunities for long-term sustainability.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Namibian government’s donation of land in 2016 was in response to CSN’s demonstration to the government that orphaned and vulnerable children in Drimiopsis are vulnerable to many forms of abuse and exploitation. When they reach school age, they do not stay in school because of hunger, lack of supervision, and absence of support and shelter. With safe housing, a nurturing environment, and educational support, they can grow to become change agents for their community rather than victims who repeat the cycle of desperation and hopelessness.