Thank you for your generous donations, which make our work possible! Our ongoing projects are:
Mother House
CSNS fundraising efforts helped build the “Mother House,” a registered residential childcare facility that houses Drimiopsis's most vulnerable children and their caregivers. CSNS is committed to raising funds to cover the orphanage’s ongoing operating costs, including meals, a manager's salary, three house mothers' salaries, three groundskeepers' salaries, medical and school expenses, staff development, and other essential resources. Your support is crucial to our success and helps vulnerable children find stability and care.
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 children’s diets, which are deficient in most nutrients, and providing income to fund the gardens by selling excess produce to community members.
CSNS funded drilling a borehole (well), purchasing water tanks and stands, and installing 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 (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 over 150 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 soup kitchen structure. 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. CSNS welcomes your donations to support this vital program.
Family Units
Over time, the Sanctuary aims to develop several family homes centred around the Mother House. The Mother House will remain the Sanctuary’s heart, providing shared services, activities, learning support, meals, and community gathering spaces.
As shown on the left, construction of the first family unit is well underway. Eleven children and a housemother are expected to move in by late November, 2026. The family unit includes two bedrooms and bathrooms for the children, a smaller bedroom for the housemother, and a kitchenette/dining/meeting area. We are actively seeking funds for solar panels to power this new home.
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.