CLaSH Newsletter 2019 Issue 92

In this issue: Family Get-Together ● Ground-breaking and Roof-wetting ● Family visits in the North ●

Hearing aids for Kavango West ● Good bye Teacher Hazel ●

From the Director’s Desk

CLaSH • P.O.Box 24361 • 80, Dr Frans Indongo Street • Windhoek • Namibia Tel: +264-61-232704 • Fax: +264-61-233904 • E-mail: office@clash-namibia.org

Website: www.clash-namibia.org

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The Association for Children with Language, Speech and Hearing Impairments of Namibia

After our lovely experience with the play dough activity last year, we again invited parents and children to “do something together”. Again we wanted to stimulate and encourage com-munication between the hearing family members and the child who is deaf. This time we prepared a fruit salad. We started with a role play at the fruit shop where the children had a little conversation with the vendor, selected a fruit of their choice, paid and took it away. The parents were quite impressed to see the fluent communication. This was followed by a sign language lesson teaching parents the signs for various fruits and utensils such as knife, bowl, cutting board. It was the sec-

ond time the children surprised their parents by moving their hands and fingers supple and swiftly and knowing many signs by heart. The third eye-opening moment occurred when the parents saw their children using sharp knives to neatly cut the fruits in pieces. In the end the fruits were mixed with custard and a delicious fruit salad was ready to be enjoyed. We shared a really nice and entertaining Saturday morning and were pleased and grateful that all 10 families attended. Of course we trust that experiencing their children’s confidence and independ-ence fostered and strengthened the parents’ belief in their skill and ability. Unfortunately, at the end of this special morning we had to an-nounce the decision of Teacher Hazel to leave the CLaSH family and pursue other goals. What we announced as the “big news” in our last newsletter has materialised smoothly and quickly so far. We already held a “Richtfest”, i.e. “roof-wetting” or “topping out” ceremony for our new building. May this be a good omen for all the other small steps lead-ing towards the big future development of establishing Namibia’s first Early Intervention Centre for children with hearing loss. We are certainly looking forward in anticipation, with great expecta-tion and genuine excitement.

Good Bye Teacher Hazel

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Teacher Hazel, who had been our principal teacher at the CLaSH Pre-School Unit for nine years, unexpect-edly announced her resignation by the end of the second school term. In a little farewell ceremony she re-ceived a colourful patchwork bag and a photo book illustrating her years with “the CLaSH family” as she used to call the team. She also got a big thank you hug from the children and all her colleagues before eve-rybody indulged in a most delicious chocolate cake that helped to sweeten our regret about her departure.

Hearing Aids for Kavango West After the combined interdisciplinary outreach to Kavango West, the Audiologist from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture spent a few afternoons at CLaSH digging through our seemingly never-ending stock of donated hearing aids to select 60 devices to be re-instated, i.e. fitted to 41 learners in and around Nkurenkuru. When she returned to the region with all those precious small boxes, she saw many very happy faces! We hope that learners, parents and teachers alike understand the value of these little gadgets and treat them like treasures in the long run. We are confident that the posters and leaflets CLaSH has developed in the past will remind learners and their respective schools that “hearing aids are impor-tant”. This is also a very opportune moment to thank all the donors of hearing aids, who have supported CLaSH over the years. Hearing aid suppliers, businesses, acousticians, individuals - your gift has assisted and continues to assist many children in Namibia who, without you, would not get a chance to experience the power and benefits of amplification. Thank you very, very much!

Ground-breaking and “Richtfest”

Our new building is coming along swiftly. The signboard was erected, a small ground-breaking ceremony took place, founda-tions were thrown and before we knew it... the walls were up, the roof was on and we invited consultants, partners and friends for...

Ground-breaking and “Richtfest”

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the “Richtfest”, a small topping-out or roof-wetting ceremony. After a brief welcome, Architect Axel Dainat explained the age-old history and the reasons for this tradition to the audience. Heide then spoke on behalf of CLaSH expressing her gratitude to the builders and to contractor, architect, quantity surveyor, donors and partners. Before breaking a glass on the wall for good luck she made the wish that this building be blessed and stand strong for many years to come.

Feedback from some participants: “The event was really good. I have learned the background or good his-tory of the event. Food was yummy too.” “It was a great event and thanks for inviting all of us.” “It was a pleasant experience and I am really impressed by the speed the team is working.”

Home Visits

This year’s round of home visits clearly illustrated the devastating effects of the current drought. We saw

dying aloes and Makalani palms, dead donkeys, cattle eating paper and plastic bags@only goats, dogs and

chicken seemed to have some energy left.

Our visits to the children and homesteads went well and families were grateful for guidance and information

in circumstances that do require perseverance and stamina.

Donors, supporters and friends - thank you!

Ministries of - Gender Equality & Child Welfare - Health & Social Services - Education

Oldenburger Gospelchor Voices e.V.

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African Bush Bird Tours African Child Action H Auffarth & family A Bartels J and D Bauer M Beigelbeck H Benzing C Berding K and K Biegert D Bock J and M Böhm S Bright, friends & family S and P Buhrow O Clemen & family O Dollmann K Drews Dr B Fawzy W Figge F Firnkes P and G Fortmüller Anne Gackstatter Stiftung M Geißler

German Lutheran Church Windhoek Dr B. Gessert D Gürtler H Haas and friends M Hellenschmidt U and B Hermann E Ingwers K Iqbal Bhatti B Jungbluth I Kähler U Kaiser & friends I Kaufmann & friends M Kettelhake Kinderkrippe Bärenhöhle U Klafs U Klenner I Kolbe Dr T Krug von Nidda Dr G Lehnerdt J Lindner S Lutz

C and W Maddée M Main A Merkel Fam Mierau & friends J and D Müller D Münstermann Dr R Moltrecht Namibia Runs for Charity (NRC) W Nass J and A Pichler G Rink B Ritz D Roolfs-Badur A Roolfs R Schlage F Schlotterbeck A Schmid P Schoemann-Finck M Schulze R and B Teichmann Dr M Thomson

L Tissing B Tjirera FJ Trost B Tschamper A van Delden H van Delden Dr J van Tonder Dr L van den Berg S van Zyl L von Bassewitz, family & friends B von Koenen P von Oehsen G Walter S Wassung I and G Weitzel J Werner F Weßels & family WestkampschuleBielefeld I Wuhrmann Prof M Zappen-Thomson

Thank you for all the individual donations!

RC München-Lehel RC Windhoek