BNC fuels better tomorrows for Namibian children

Every afternoon in Katutura, hundreds of children once lined up at the Bernhard Nordkamp Centre (BNC Namibia) for a simple bowl of soup. For many, it was the only meal they could count on that day.

Today, that same centre has transformed into a fully fledged after-school programme where children receive extra lessons in English, mathematics, science and computational thinking.

The centre caters to around 200 children, where they are offered safety, food, education, sports activities, play time and a lot of positive social interaction.

When Marybeth Gallagher, the centre’s director, arrived in 2004, she saw children with untapped potential.

With her background in soccer, she decided to start coaching youngsters.

“Being a soccer player, referee and coach, I started a soccer programme for the children in the community which blossomed into a girls' soccer programme and later blossomed into a national girls' soccer programme,” Gallagher told Careers.

But her interactions with the children revealed deeper social challenges – many couldn’t read or write. That realisation led to the birth of the BNC Educational Afterschool Programme, which now provides structured learning and mentorship to over 200 children.

Life-changing impact 

Gallagher told Careers that the centre’s greatest achievement has not been how many children have benefitted, but their personal growth and success.

“Our greatest milestone would be all the young adults who have come through the centre, and they are fine, upstanding people with ethics and morals,” she said. 

The centre’s impact can be seen in the paths its students have taken.

“We have some students who graduated from high school through the BNC. We helped them with their school fees, and we helped get them sponsorships," Gallagher said.

"One young gentleman went on to university, and he studied for six years. He certainly gained a lot of knowledge, and now he is employed in another career,” she added.

Many families in the area live without reliable access to basic necessities such as food.

For them, centres like BNC are essential. Gallagher said that the presence of non-profits makes a meaningful difference within the community. “If it weren't for the non-profit organisations, the people that are struggling would really be suffering even more."

BNC, like many other non-profits, steps in where the state cannot. "It’s unfortunate that the government doesn’t have a safety net for these people on the margins."

Photo: Contributed