In August, Hannah, program manager, and Jessica, engineering coordinator, spent two weeks volunteering with Hope 4 Kids International in Namibia. The nonprofit organization helps children worldwide who are affected by extreme poverty by providing clean water, food, education, housing and medical care.
Hannah plays with children living in a boarding home
Jessica learned about the opportunity through a friend who helped organize the trip. The goal was to deliver mattress kits to children’s boarding houses, engage with the children and assist with building facilities.
“My friend told me they only had one person signed up for the trip,” Jessica said. “So I went to my manager, Hannah, and said, ‘Hey, here’s the situation. They really need help.’ Then Hannah said, ‘Maybe I can help too!’”
Hannah decided to join Jessica on the trip. They paid mostly out of pocket for the trip and took two weeks off to volunteer together.
After several flights and long car rides, they reached their first destination: a children’s boarding cottage. In rural Namibia, parents often work in areas without access to education or resources for their children. Many send their children to live at boarding cottages run by the church so they can go to school. These facilities are severely underfunded, with limited bedding, food, clean water, and space for the children. The team delivered mattress kits and supplies sponsored by Janicki and other donors and then traveled to another boarding cottage.
“The kids greeted us with a big welcoming ceremony with songs, dances, and costumes,” Jessica said. “It was amazing.”
Hannah was moved by the harsh living conditions the children faced. “There were kids with no mattresses sleeping on the floor or two kids to a bed. There were about 20 kids in a single room,” she recalled. “They didn’t even have enough plasticware to serve the children food at once.”
Jessica and a child making paper cranes
Throughout the trip, Hannah and Jessica bonded with the children, doing crafts, playing soccer, and talking with them. They also helped at a soup kitchen, harvested produce, painted a youth center, replaced windows, and made bricks for a new dining hall. The two colleagues grew closer during their time together.
Reflecting on the experience, both expressed a newfound appreciation for what they have.
“We all get caught up with wanting more and more out of life,” Jessica said. “It made me think about everything that I do have.”
“It’s a real reminder of how blessed I am and how much I could help others,” Hannah added.