Learners at the Luderitz Soup Kitchen regularly write letters to Sekolo Projects, as part of the monitoring of the projects.  Excerpts from some of their letters are posted here.  To protect their privacy, their names have not been included.

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Soup! Soup! Soup!
Luderitz High School is well known in Namibia.  At our school every monday, wensday and friday the children that does not have alot of privileges get soup.  I want to thank the sponsors for doing this.  I have a friend that lost his mother and father.  He is in Grade 8 and lives with his aunt.  They can’t afford to give him three meals a day.  He only gets two.  Since he began with high school he took soup.  Although it is only one cup he is thankfull to it.  Another example is me.  When I was 2 weeks old my mother left meto my father.  He provided me everything I needed.  3 months ago he commited suiside.  Now I live with my grandmother.  She does not work, she looks after small kids.  So I also take soup.  This helps alot.
By a very thankfull pupil in grade 8.

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The Soup Kitchen
It is a admirable project for many reasons.  One is that the providers have put in time and effort to make the soup that feeds a majority of our school.  Many children come from homes where there is no food nor stability, the soup kitchen provides refuge to those.  It gives them food, not just in the sense that it fills their stomachs, but also because it is tasty, and allows them to excel in school work.

A hungry child cannot concentrate in class or participate in activities as hunger steals his/her thoughts, even when going home I’ve heard a few learners talking about how they look forward to the next day at lunch.  There are many greatful children, those who are orphans and also those with family problems, such as unemployment.  They look forward to having their tastebuds satisfied and their tummy filled.

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The way we are save in school
It look fun when you to get soup at school but we love soup so much with are heart.  I would like to say thanx for giving use this soup to eat because some of us we don’t come wit food at school and our familys don’t work.  But some of us we get what our familys have to get for us to eat at school.

We get many things at school that some of us we don’t get at home.  I want to ask God to give our school power so that we can have more then this.

We get bread, soup, appel at school that we can make 2 days with out eating bread in ur life.

Keep it up.

A learner in grade 8.

Return to Luderitz Secondary School CBO

The mission of Sekolo Projects Inc. is to prevent new HIV infection in young people in Namibia by providing and supporting HIV prevention education, physical care and psychosocial support for young people living with and affected by HIV / AIDS.

The Board of Directors consists of 4 members, with an Executive Director.  As pictured, left to right, Elizabeth Robinson, Tom Mahoney, Bill Kiernan, (seated) Joe Toochin, Katrina Robinson

Didi Robinson “Watching Sekolo evolve into an accomplished organization is a source of endless pride, and having been an integral part of its journey is rewarding.  Transferring the operating responsibilities to our Namibian counterparts is challenging and will keep me participating until that goal is achieved.  We’ve all watched as millions of dollars have been spent on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  A small organization with a small budget and smaller staff bringing about behavioral change as a sustainable means of decreasing HIV/AIDS infection is one of the most admirable approaches on the map, and I am proud to be a part of that organization.”

Tom Mahoney, Chairperson  “I became a board member of Sekolo Proejcts because I believe Elizabeth’s initiative and committment to prevent new cases of HIV infection in Namibia is a worthwhile endeavor.  With one of the world’s highest infection rates, Namibia is a country in need of educational interventions to see its youth and young adult populations reach maturity.  In the course of the past year, the Namibian Ministry of Health announced that the infection rate had dropped from 19.3 to 17.8% of the adult population - a great indication that prevention education is effective.  Sekolo’s Our HIV ABC program was a contributing factor to the decline. 

Also, the support services that Sekolo provides to children living with, affected by, or at risk of HIV - after school activities, meals, clothing, etc. plays a significant role in preventing new infections.  While the organization plays a small role in the pandemic, it makes a significant difference in one country, and I am honored to have a small role working with a committed and dedicated board of directors.”

Bill Kiernan, Treasurer, pouring wine at the Sekolo Sensations benefit in 2009.

Joseph Toochin, pictured with Elizabeth and members of the Board of the UNFCU, presenting Sekolo Projects with a grant in 2007.

Advisory Board
Sekolo’s advisory Board has ebbed and flowed with the needs of the organization, but all those who have served on the Advisory Board have provided strong positive influences in the development of the organization.  Whether guiding the organizational structure, the legal framework, the educational content or fundraising strategy, each and every member of the Advisory Board has been incalculably valuable.  Thank you!

Click here for the 5 Year Reivew

Elizabeth Robinson, Executive Director
As founder of Sekolo Projects Inc. in 2004, Elizabeth has worked for Sekolo in several different capacities.  As Executive Director, she manages and implements Sekolo’s annual fundraising strategies, monitors Sekolo’s programs and projects in Namibia, and reports to the US Board.

Katrina (Didi) Robinson, is a founding member of the Board.  She is pictured here with Diana Whyte at the Sekolo Sensations benefit in 2009.

Another successful fundraiser for Sekolo Projects!

Sekolo Sensations wine tasting and African crafts event was held on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, November 27th 2009, at Selleck Hall, St. Paul’s Church, Riverside. 

Over 100 people attended, raising $8,000 to support Sekolo’s HIV prevention programs in Namibia.  It was wonderful to see so many of our supporters there.  Thank you for your generous and continued help!

Sekolo Projects worked with AOC Fine Wines for Sekolo Sensations.  AOC will donate 15% of any purchase by a Sekolo donor - either online or in the store.  Just mention the code “Sekolo” when you check out.  You’ll enjoy your wine, and Sekolo will appreciate the 15% donation!

AOC Fine Wines is a network of small wine boutiques specialized in artisanal, mostly organic wines. They scour the globe in search of talented winemakers who use their expertise in service of their passion: great wine that respects the land, encouraging the optimal expression of the fruit that grows on it.  We can help the world - One bottle at a time.  AOC Fine Wines has stores in Old Greenwich, Greenwich and New Rochelle.

The CBO Assistance Fund supports HIV prevention in schools and school communities to provide physical care or psychosocial support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). The provision of physical care and psychosocial support for OVC enables them to enroll or continue in school, and gain access to the HIV prevention education now provided by the Ministry of Education.

Through the CBO Assistance Fund, Sekolo collaborates with community groups that provide security, care and a support network for young people. The purpose of the CBO Assistance Fund is to encourage creative, community responses to HIV and AIDS. Individual communities are often better equipped to support and care for their children than external organizations, and only need financial support and guidance to make their creative responses feasible and sustainable. As community organizations are assisted in helping provide care and support to their own, the burden previously left to the extended family is eased, and the emotional support network provided by the extended family can grow as the burden of physical support is taken up by the community.

Click here for other Sekolo programs

Girls at the Omuhaturua Primary School.

Waiting for soup at the Luderitz Secondary School Red Ribbon Soup Kitchen.

Dancing with Sekolo Sunrise Kids.

TAAC holding their printed magazine.

The mission of Sekolo Projects Namibia is to prevent new HIV infection in young people in Namibia by providing and supporting HIV prevention education, physical care and psychosocial support for young people living with and affected by HIV / AIDS.

The Board of Directors consists of seven members, with three elected officers.  The Board will soon employ a Namibian National Program Coordinator who will oversee Sekolo’s programs, report to the Board and to donors, as well as fundraise to support the organisation’s mission.

At the Board Development workshop in July 2009.

Marianna Erastus Chairperson
Marianna recently joined the Board in July 2009 and was elected Chair in November.  She is the Coordinator for the Namibian Women’s Network, also a Namibian Welfare Organization.  Marianna’s background in community development and gender issues add a unique and necessary perspective to the Sekolo Board.  In addition, her knowledge of the workings of a small NWO are invaluable as Sekolo Projects Namibia develops.

Bernhard Kamatoto
Bernhard joined the Board in July 2009 and currently works for Lironga Eparu which means “learning to survive.”  The organization was founded and is still run by individuals living with HIV.  Lironga Eparu provides much needed counseling and support to individuals living with HIV in Namibia. 

Bonifatius Morwe Treasurer
Mr. Morwe currently works with the Ministry of Education teaching grade 11 and grade 12 Mathematics.  He has served on the Sekolo Projects Namibia board since 2006.  As a passionate educator, Mr. Morwe enjoys his work with Sekolo because it directly serves the children of Namibia, broadens his own horizons internationally and enables him to keep in touch with the long term survival and success of young people.

Mr. Morwe previously taught at the Mokaleng Roman Catholic Combined School where Elizabeth Robinson was originally a volunteer teacher.  He has been a long-time and enthusiastic supporter of Sekolo Projects Inc. and witnessed the filming of the Our HIV ABC educational video in 2004 at Mokaleng. 

Helena Mungunda
Helena joined the Board in July of 2009 and most recently worked for the Academy of Educational Development (AED).  She provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Education for their HIV and AIDS workplace wellness program.  Although her work has mostly focused on adult HIV prevention, Helena is enthusiastic and passionate about working with young people to prevent the spread of HIV.  Helena is also a registered nurse, with experience in the health care system in Namibia. 

David Sampson Vice Chair
David served as Sekolo Projects Namibia’s first Chairperson, from August 2006 through November 2009 and Sekolo is grateful for his experience, skills and connections.  David currently works at with the Ministry of Education at NIED, the National Institute for Educational Development in Namibia.  He is the Education Officer for Social Studies, HIV and AIDS and Environmental Education.

Gisela Siririka
Gisela has enthusiastically served on the Board since 2006.  She also works at NIED, where she plans, develops, designs and evaluates curriculum.  Her focus is on HIV and other cross-curricular issues.  Gisela’s background and experience in the development of HIV prevention in Namibia are a crucial foundation to the Board’s knowledge and resources. 

Maree Smit
Mrs. Smit has been on the Board since 2006 and currently works with the Namibian Ministry of Education as a Regional School Counsellor.  Her main responsibility is to provide care and support for orphans and vulnerable children in the school system in the Karas Region of southern Namibia.  Her task is monumental, with hundreds of children under her supervision and care. 

Sekolo Projects Namibia is a Namibian Welfare Organisation, registered #275.

In October, members of the Board met to review applications for the new Namibian National Project Coordinator.  The position will be filled in December 2009, to begin work in January 2010.

Ms. Marianna Erastus

Mr. Bernhard Kamatoto

Mr. Bonifatius Morwe

Ms. Helena Mungunda

Mr. David Sampson

Mrs. Gisela Sirirka

Mrs. Maree Smit

This page provides the applications and guidelines for Sekolo’s two grant programmes. Please download and print the forms if you are interested!

Community Based Organization Assistance Fund

Application (Microsoft Word Document)
Guidelines (Microsoft Word Document)

Small Grants for AIDS Awareness Clubs and Windows of Hope Clubs

Small Grants Application 2009 (PDF)
Small Grants Guidelines 2009 (PDF)
Example Budget Sheet (PDF)
Monitoring & Information sheet (PDF)
Small Grants 2009 Flyer (PDF)

Sekolo Projects’ Our HIV ABC Educational Publications

All of Sekolo’s documents are available for download here and can be used or reproduced for educational purposes, provided appropriate credit is given. 

Our HIV ABC Teachers Guide
Games and Activities for AIDS Awareness Clubs
Training Follow-Up

Translations of the Our HIV ABC Glossary
Afrikaans Glossary
Damara Glossary
English Glossary
Oshikwanyama Glossary
Oshindonga Glossary
Otjiherero Glossary
Setswana Glossary

Translations of Our HIV ABC Key Concepts
Afrikaans Key Concepts
Damara Key Concepts
English Key Concepts
Oshikwanyama Key Concepts
Oshindonga Key Concepts
Otjiherero Key Concepts
Setswana Key Concepts

If you have any questions or problems, please get in touch with us:
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Fax: 061 305 000
Text message: +1 646 400 3375

Teachers at an Our HIV ABC workshop.

Click here for more workshop photos.

Sekolo’s Our HIV ABC program was grounded in our belief in the sustainability of training teachers in the “combined HIV ABC” of Abstinence, Be faithful and Consistent and Correct Condom use. Our workshops discussed the limitations of the ABC, incorporate additional components on stigma, voluntary counseling, testing and care (VCTC), prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), and how to care for and work with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). We encouraged all our teachers to get tested and tell their colleagues and students about testing.  The initial implementation of Our HIV ABC was completed in August of 2006. 

The Our HIV ABC Teacher’s Guide includes definitions of the A, B, and C as well as discussion questions for use in a classroom situation.  The guide’s definitions and it’s detailed glossary have been translated into several Namibian languages.  All of Sekolo’s educational documents, including translations, are available here. 

The Our HIV ABC Teacher’s Guide is meant to used in conjunction with the Our HIV ABC Classroom Video, shown in 4 segments below, courtesy of Acis Productions.  The video is entirely youth presented and includes definitions, discussions, and drama’s relating to Abstinence, Being faithful, and Condom use.  The final segment of the video is a demonstration of both male and female condoms by learners. 

“Our HIV ABC” - 1) HIV Introduction from Acis Productions on Vimeo.

A – Abstinence: The only sure way of preventing HIV transmission through sexual activity. Abstinence only works if it is an informed abstinence. Encouraging delay and minimizing potential exposure are essential in fighting rising HIV rates in young people.

“Our HIV ABC” - 2) Abstinence from Acis Productions on Vimeo.

B – Be Faithful: Fighting HIV from the classroom is about encouraging people to make informed decisions, to keep themselves safe, to use their education in a full adult life. Reducing partner numbers and knowing and trusting your partner is part of the individual’s armory against infection - but B alone is no protection.

“Our HIV ABC” - 3) Be faithful from Acis Productions on Vimeo.

C - Consistent and Correct Condom use: Without correct condom knowledge and when placed in real life situations, young people are at risk from abuse and infection. Condom use reduces the spread of STIs whose presence greatly increases the chance of HIV transmission.

“Our HIV ABC” - 4) use a Condom from Acis Productions on Vimeo.

Teachers practice demonstrating the female condom during a workshop in Oshakati.

Click here to see more workshop photos.

The initial implementation of Our HIV ABC was completed in August of 2006.  Our HIV ABC gave immediate and sustainable improvement to Namibia’s HIV prevention effort through: 

• 53 teacher-training workshops for HIV / AIDS contact teachers
• 921 teachers trained at 564 secondary schools
• Provision of classroom tools and materials to all secondary schools in Namibia
• Engaging up to 45,000 students (aged 12-19) with HIV prevention information

A workshop participant.

Praise for Our HIV ABC

The response to the Our HIV ABC program was consistently positive.  Here are selected comments from participating teachers.

“[The Our HIV ABC video] became my powerful tool as before we start with every lesson or session, the learners demanded for the video to be shown first!” (Khomas Region, Precilina Hoveka)

“I feel much more comfortable to talk about issues like sex and demonstrating condoms to the learners. I also learned that spreading the information of abstinence could be a good solution because a lot of people in our community now abstain.” (Oshana Region, Ashilonga Maria)

“Other teachers used [the materials] as well, in their lessons, especially the Life Science teachers and the Life Skills teachers.” (Oshikoto Region, Ndinelago Ngulu)

Ms. Robinson leading discussion during a workshop.

“We also showed the video to the teachers at school.” (Oshikoto Region, Mr. Petrus Asser)

“I gained knowledge about how AIDS is spread and the prevention measures to be taken. I have learned how to teach learners in a conducive atmosphere to HIV and AIDS.” (Omusati Region, Sikwanga Humphrey)

“I really gained most useful knowledge like how to demonstrate use of a female condom correctly, how to lead ‘be faithful’ discussions, and also many games during the workshop.” (Oshana Region, Aili Amadhila)

The Deputy Minister of Education in Namibia wrote at the conclusion of Our HIV ABC to thank Sekolo Projects for its work in HIV prevention. She commended Sekolo Projects’ collaboration with the Ministry of Education and encouraged Sekolo to continue providing effective and relevant programming.

An Our HIV ABC workshop in Ongwediva.

Globally, 33 million people were living with HIV in 2007. Two-thirds of those affected by the epidemic live in sub-Saharan Africa: 67% of all people living with HIV and 75% of AIDS deaths in 2007 were in sub-Saharan Africa.

Young people aged 15–24 account for almost half of all new HIV infections worldwide.

In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 12 million children under age 18 have lost one or both parents to HIV. National adult HIV infection levels are highest in southern Africa, including Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa and Namibia.

In Namibia, the adult HIV prevalence rate is 17.8% and in 2007, an estimated 200,000 people were living with HIV in Namibia. As the second most sparsely populated country in the world and the country with the highest income disparity, Namibia’s HIV epidemic has significant and dire impact on young people. “The United Nations reports that the poorest 20 percent of Namibia’s population earns only 1.4 percent of the national income versus the richest 20 percent of the population that earns 78.7 percent of the national income. Household food security and access to services are limited for the vast majority of the population.”

Background on HIV and HIV in Namibia: versus the richest 20 percent of the population that earns 78.7 percent of the national income. Household food security and access to services are limited for the vast majority of the population.”

The depth and breadth of poverty in Namibia contributes to the widespread impact of HIV, with the burden increasingly on young people. The number of orphans and vulnerable children is increasing dramatically as parents and caretakers succumb to the disease. The extended family is rapidly becoming overburdened and unable to care for these children. Namibia’s population is young, with 70% of Namibians under the age of 30 and 43% under the age of 15. In Namibia alone, about 120,000 children under age 17 have lost one or both parents; about 57,000 of these children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

The HIV epidemic varies in intensity and severity throughout the country, with prevalence rates as low as 4.7% and as high as 31.7%. The spread of HIV/AIDS is exacerbated by high unemployment rates, poverty and violence against women and children. Mostly due to the HIV epidemic, life expectancy in Namibia has dropped by 10 years in the last decade. At 52, life expectancy is now at the level it was in 1970.

For more information, read the BBC’s Namibia country profile here.

Sekolo works with Namibia’s Regional Counsellors to distribute donated clothing and toiletries to orphans and vulnerable children in school. Youth groups and school clubs in the United States collect the items and fundraise for shipping costs. The items are sent directly to the Regional Counsellors in Namibia’s 13 educational regions. Regional Counsellors work individually with children living with HIV or who are affected by the virus. They distribute the donated items directly to children in their care.

A big thank you to Mr. Hadi Hajjar and Mirtex Trading Corp!  Mr. Hajjar donated over 50 fleece blankets, more than 200 toothbrushes, and 200 pairs of school uniform socks for orphans and vulnerable children in Namibia.  Elizabeth took the donation to Namibia in October 2009 and delivered them to Sisi, one of Sekolo’s Project Facilitators in Oshakati.  The items will be included in the children’s Christmas gifts this year, bringing smiles and confidence to the children who receive them.  We gave away two blankets early, much to the delight of these girls!

In April 2009, the Confirmation class at Christ Church Greenwich collected and shipped 30 boxes of donated clothes and toiletries to be distributed to children in Namibia.  The clothing arrived in May, just as the weather turned cold in Namibia.  Some of the Regional Counsellors sent back photos of the children they helped:

The shack where these learners lived burned down and they lost everything.  Sekolo gave them clothes for the winter.

 
Children at this Day Care Center received Sekolo’s donated clothes also.  The Day Care Center is located in the shack town called the “DRC,” outside Swakopmund. (above and right)

Rosalia was thrilled to receive her new fleece blanket!

The pile of donated items from Mirtex - 40 fleece blankets, 200+ toothbrushes, and 200 school uniform socks.

Monica was excited to take her blanket back to the school dormitory with her.

The Small Grants Program provides funding for AIDS Awareness Clubs and Windows of Hope Clubs.  The grants support team-building activities to strengthen self-confidence and community outreach activities which share information between learners and the adults in their communities.

Activities that build self-confidence and team spirit create networks that help keep young people healthy. Encouraging young people to help educate others empowers them to make their own decisions and take control of their own future.

The Small Grants Program will fund forty grass roots, creative activities at the school level: 10 grants each in 4 of the neediest regions of Namibia. The Small Grants Program is active in the Kunene, Kavango, Omaheke and Karas Regions.

Both Kunene and Karas Regions, in the far north-west and the far south, are fairly un-populated. Because of their inhospitable terrain and the distance from the capital city of Windhoek, these areas of Namibia are often overlooked by government programs and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  Omaheke is on the edge of the Kalahari Desert to the East, and like the Karas Region further south, is the inhospitable home of the marginalized and minority San and Tswana ethnic groups.

The Small Grants Program has real impact: At its roots, it supports young people to participate in educational activities that help prevent the spread of HIV. These activities reach between 40 and 500 students each, depending on the size of the school and HIV/AIDS Awareness Club.

Small Grants in Action

The learners at Rakutuka Primary School wanted to get the message out to their peers and their community about HIV.  The Windows of Hope Club applied for a small grant to paint the walls outside their school.  Once the learners planned what messages they wanted to paint, the action started!  They sent us these pictures of their mural, and click here to see the letter one learner wrote to us in appreciation!

Downloads

Small Grants Application 2009 (PDF)
Small Grants Guidelines 2009 (PDF)
Example Budget Sheet (PDF)
Monitoring & Information sheet (PDF)
Small Grants 2009 Flyer (PDF)

Regions where the Small Grants Program is active.

Windows of Hope Clubs draw “My Special Balloons” with materials provided through Sekolo’s Small Grants Program.

Click here for Sekolo Sensations photos

——————— Sekolo Shopping ———————

A Voice in the Desert - African Gospel CD
A Voice in the Desert is a social entrepreneurial product, a CD that blends charity and commerce.  Mokaleng School, where Elizabeth Robinson was first a volunteer teacher, has a great need for funds as most learners are unable to pay the boarding fees.  Funds from this CD help the community meet that need, in a way that celebrates their home-grown talent, and develops self-reliance towards the ultimate goal of self-funding.  See the OneAfrica news clip about Mokaleng and order CDs at www.Mokaleng.com 

Hand-beaded Namibian ornaments
Honor someone special and keep children safe and healthy in Namibia.  With your donation of $25 or more, we’ll send a hand-beaded star or HIV ribbon ornament to the person you choose.

Click here to download your Give the Gift of Charity order form, send it to us with your check, and we’ll do the rest.

Sekolo Notecards
These beautiful notecards with images by Alison Nicholls, are a beautiful gift or to use yourself.  Alison is a watercolor artist who has spent many years living and sketching in southern Africa and she frequently donates her work to benefit charities. 

You can buy a set of 8 mixed cards (first option below) or, if you’re particularly fond of zebras and cheetahs, select them and indicate quantity in your PayPal shopping cart.

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Mixed set of 8 cards - $20

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Zebra Cards, any quantity, $1.50 per card

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Redbilled Quelea Cards, any quantity, $1.50 per card

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Resting Cheetah Cards, any quantity, $1.50 per card

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Blue WIldebeest Mother & Calf Cards, any quantity, $1.50 per card

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                                  ...thank you!

AOC Fine Wines is a network of small wine boutiques specialized in artisanal, mostly organic wines. We scour the globe in search of talented winemakers who use their expertise in service of their passion: great wine that respects the land, encouraging the optimal expression of the fruit that grows on it.  AOC will donate 15% of your purchase, in store or online, when you use the code “Sekolo” at check-out.  Enjoy your wine, and support Sekolo!

Mokaleng CD: A Voice in the Desert

Sekolo Notecards

~  Supporting business ~

Nicholls Wildlife Art

Alison Nicholls is a watercolor wildlife artist who lived in the southern African countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe for nearly 9 years.  She is a member of both the Salmagundi Club and Explorers Club in New York City and a signature member of Artists For Conservation.  She paints African wildlife in watercolor and often uses her work to raise funds for non-profit organizations in Africa.  Her work can be found online at http://www.NichollsWildlifeArt.com

ATI Holidays

Rivendell Guesthouse

Please make checks out to Sekolo Projects Inc.

Our mailing address is:
Sekolo Projects Inc.
PO Box 138
Old Greenwich, CT 06870

If your company has a matching gift program, please remember to fill in the appropriate form and double your donation!

Tax Receipts
Sekolo Projects is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organisation in the United States. We will provide tax receipts for all donations.

Goodsearch and GoodShop

You can also support Sekolo Projects Inc by using GoodSearch and GoodShop.  GoodSearch is a search engine - just like google - but for every time you search, GoodSearch gives Sekolo a penny!  Just make sure you enter “Sekolo” in the “Who do You Search for?” bar.

Similarly, GoodShop is a portal for your online shopping.  GoodShop includes more than 900 of the top Internet retailers and travel sites like Amazon, eBay, iTunes, Target, Apple, Expedia. They’ve all agreed to donate part of every purchase to Sekolo, at no additional cost to you.  Just enter “Sekolo” as the charity you want to support.  And, thank you!

Donate now by check or PayPal and your gift of:

Organizational History

Sekolo Projects Inc

Sekolo Projects Inc was founded in 2004 by Elizabeth Robinson and her partner, Geoffrey Silver.  Elizabeth spent 2 years volunteering in Namibia as an English teacher, teacher-trainer and HIV prevention teacher, under the auspices of WorldTeach, a program developed by the Harvard School of International Development. 

On Elizabeth’s return to the US, she and Geoffrey founded Sekolo Projects Inc. to build on Elizabeth’s experiences in Namibia and support the work of her colleagues in their fight against the spread of HIV.

Sekolo was incorporated in July 2004 and received 501(c)3 status from the IRS in October of the same year. Sekolo means ‘school’ in the Tswana language, which was spoken in Aminuis.

Geoffrey Silver researched, filmed and produced an educational video about HIV with Elizabeth and the learners at the Mokaleng Roman Catholic Combined School, where she had been a volunteer.  Elizabeth compiled a Teacher’s Guide to accompany the video.  In February 2005, Elizabeth returned to Namibia to liaise with the HIV/AIDS Management Unit (HAMU) of the Ministry of Education to introduce the Our HIV ABC classroom video and Teacher’s Guide as a key component of the HIV training of Namibia’s secondary school teachers.

In July 2005, HAMU began working with Sekolo to roll-out the program to the rest of the country. The pilot phase of Our HIV ABC was completed in summer 2005: 72 teachers in four of Namibia’s 13 regions received a 1-day workshop, peer-educational classroom video, teacher’s guide and translations of key components into local languages.

The full roll-out of Our HIV ABC was completed in August 2006. In all, 921 teachers at 564 schools received training and materials to lead their AIDS Clubs. An additional 215 sets of materials were distributed.

Over 45,000 young people received accurate and Namibian-presented information based on the integrated ABC of Abstinence, Be faithful and use a Condom.

Sekolo Projects Namibia

Sekolo Projects Namibia is a Namibian Welfare Organisation, the legal equivalent of a US 501(c)3 non-profit in the US. It was founded in August 2006 by Geoffrey Silver and Elizabeth Robinson, then Project Manager and President of Sekolo Projects Inc. Sekolo Projects Namibia brings together passionate individuals in the Namibian education sector to guide and direct Sekolo’s programs in response to its mission. The Sekolo Projects Namibia board of directors will sustain and guide Sekolo’s work in Namibia, continuing our work to provide and support HIV prevention education.

Sekolo Projects Namibia will eventually take over the management and funding of all projects run by Sekolo Projects Inc. Currently, Sekolo Projects Inc and Sekolo Projects Namibia collaborate in directing and implementing all Sekolo programs.

The start-up Board of Sekolo Projects Namibia, August 2006.

Sekolo Projects Inc

Board of Directors
Tom Mahoney, Chairperson, Director, Office of Special Clinical Services, Greenwich Department of Health
Katrina Robinson, Secretary
William Kiernan, Treasurer
Joseph Toochin

Staff
Elizabeth Robinson, Executive Director and founding President

Sekolo Projects Namibia

Board of Directors
Marianne Erastus, Chair
David Sampson, Vice Chair
Bonifatius Morwe, Treasurer
Bernhard Kamatoto
Helena Mungunda
Gisela Siririka
Maree Smit

Sekolo Projects Namibia Board members, Gisela Siririka, David Sampson and Maree Smit with the Sekolo Sunrise Kids banner.

Board member Boni Morwe with Sekolo Sunrise Kids facilitator, Sisi, during a site visit.

Sekolo Projects Namibia
P.O. Box 97059
Windhoek, NAMIBIA
Phone: +264 81 228 2696
Fax: +264 61 250 258
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Sekolo Projects Inc.
P.O. Box 138
Old Greenwich, CT 06870, USA
Phone: +1 203 987 5293
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Call Sekolo Projects via Skype

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Mission Statement

The mission of Sekolo Projects is to prevent new HIV infection in young people in Namibia by providing and supporting HIV prevention education, physical care and psychosocial support for young people living with and affected by HIV / AIDS.

In Namibia, the scale of the HIV epidemic is exacerbated by a complexity of ingrained and interlocking social problems, including poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and the subordination of women. Providing emotional and physical support for young people living with the virus and those whole lives are affected by it, especially girls, builds self-confidence and strengthens a positive peer community which protects a child from the risks of HIV infection.

Community Based Organization (CBO) Assistance Fund

The CBO Assistance Fund supports HIV prevention in schools and school communities to provide physical care or psychosocial support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). The provision of physical care and psychosocial support for OVC enables them to enroll or continue in school, and gain access to the HIV prevention education now provided by the Ministry of Education.

Small Grants for AIDS Awareness Clubs

These Small Grants provide funding for AIDS Awareness Clubs and Windows of Hope Clubs.  The grants support team-building to strengthen self-confidence and community outreach activities which share information between learners and the adults in their communities.

Donations for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Sekolo Projects Inc. donates clothing and toiletries for orphans and vulnerable children in Namibia.  Working with school or church groups, we collect gently used winter clothing for children.  The participating groups raise funds for shipping the boxes directly to Namibia’s Regional Education Counsellors who distribute the clothes and toiletries.

• CBO Assistance Fund
• Small grants for AIDS awareness
• Donations for orphans and vulnerable children
• HIV in Namibia
• Our HIV ABC

Sekolo Sunrise Kids

Sekolo Projects is a non-profit organization that aims to prevent new HIV infections in young people in Namibia, southern Africa.

HIV prevention takes many shapes:

• direct classroom education helps kids learn about the virus;
• after-school support groups and activities reinforce and build kids’ self-esteem, strengthening their resilience to peer pressure and the temptation of risky behavior;
• physical support through extra meals, clothing donations, or even school hostel (dormitory) fees keep kids in school to learn about the virus and safeguard against those behaviors which put children at risk.

Sekolo Projects collaborates with school communities to find and support the best HIV prevention strategy for that community.  We’re helping kids and their communities keep themselves strong and healthy.

Newest facts and statistics on the global HIV and AIDS epidemic.  Download the report here: AIDS Epidemic Update December 2009

• See Sekolo Projects in action
• How you can help
• Community projects we support
• Our HIV ABC
• HIV/AIDS in Namibia