Carmen Bodio’s Story

To be honest, it came as quite a surprise when our son Luis told us he wanted to do his FSJ in Africa. An FSJ, sure – we thought that was brilliant and we’d discussed it many times before – but why in Africa? So far away from home? It didn’t take long for Luis, with his enthusiastic manner, to convince us that Africa – and Namibia in particular – would be the ideal place for his project. A reliable partner was soon found in the form of the ‘friends’ from Karlsruhe, and after a video interview with Sonja, it was a done deal: Luis is off to Children’s Haven in Omaruru, Namibia, for a year!
As he set off, our own desire to get to know the country and people of Namibia began to grow. The photos Luis sent after arriving at the Haven and the video calls we had with him did the rest. Over the phone, Luis gave us a glimpse into everyday life at the Haven, and it was quite exciting. We saw the cheerful children who loved to jump onto his lap during our calls. We saw the smiling aunties waving to us whilst they were cooking or doing the washing. And whenever Luis had a day off, he’d send us pictures of the stunning landscape and the marvellous wildlife. So, from afar, we were able to share a little in his work at the Haven and his life with the children, the aunties and the other FSJ volunteers.
At Easter 2025, we boarded a plane ourselves and visited Luis for a few days at the Haven in Omaruru. We were curious and very excited. Were our worries justified? Was he really safe? Was he doing well? Our concerns were put to rest in no time at all.
On our arrival at the Haven, we were given a very warm welcome by everyone. The little ones weren’t at all shy, and before long we were right in the thick of the fun. Whilst playing football, the ball thudded against the henhouse more than once, and the hens protested with a great clamour. The slightly older girls were fascinated by our daughter’s hair and, once their initial shyness had worn off, they plaited beautiful braids into her straight hair. Whilst carrying out a minor repair on the car, ‘Papa Marco’ was joined by company, and instead of fixing the car, they ended up playing taxi. The driver’s seat was packed with children who, amidst a great deal of shouting, drove ‘Papi’ to the school in Omaruru and back to the Haven again.
A campfire with bread on a stick was planned for the evening. The lads fetched long sticks and firewood, and the dough – made from 5kg of flour – had to be beaten and kneaded by hand. It really is possible, and it works a treat. After dark, the campfire was lit and, little by little, the whole Haven gathered round the fire. Every child wanted a stick and their own dough – and they wanted it straight away. The aunties and the FSJ volunteers had their hands full giving each child a piece of dough and helping them wrap it round the stick. There were the odd tear or two, but in the end everyone was provided with dough and sticks. Their eyes grew wider and wider as it became clear that stick bread tastes even better when you pop a piece of chocolate into the warm hole. It was simply marvellous to watch all the sticky but happy children by the fire with their stick bread. The noise was indescribable, but so was the joy.
As we sat round the campfire, the older boys told us what they wanted to be when they grew up – ‘I want to be a pilot!’ ‘I want to be a football star like Ronaldo!’ ‘I want to drive a racing car!’ We couldn’t help but smile… those answers could just as easily have come from children of the same age in Germany.
After the second round of bread on a stick with chocolate, calm gradually set in. The youngest children were already asleep in the aunties’ arms.
We looked back on the day and were delighted that we’d been welcomed so warmly and with open arms by everyone at Haven. Most of the children come from difficult backgrounds or are coming to terms with traumatic experiences. And, of course, everyday life isn’t always easy for everyone involved, and not every day is all sunshine and roses. Yet there was no sign of that this evening. At Haven, they have found a stable environment that offers them support and a sense of security. And on this evening, all it took for a wonderful experience was a simple stick of bread, a piece of chocolate, a campfire and a cosy get-together.
It was lovely to see that you don’t need great luxury, endless toys or excessive consumerism to be happy.
It is only thanks to the many private donations, the support of the Friends’ Association and the sponsorship schemes that these children and young people are given a chance at stability, a sense of belonging, family and a normal life. We were very grateful to have been able to experience this first-hand. And yes, our son was absolutely fine. He really did find a second family here and made lots of new friends. Thank you to everyone at Haven!
Unfortunately, our stay was too short to delve deeper into the culture of Namibia and its people. Hopefully next time – Sien jou.

Carmen Bodio