Namibia, Baumgartsbrunn
Baumgartsbrunn Farm School
Construction Period: Jan - Sep 2021

Facts

Type of facility

A school with 10 furnished classrooms + lavatory + outside area

Students

200

Budget

€33,050

NGO partner

Education

Academic year

January to December

Literacy rate (15+ years old)

91.53%

 

Project implementation

The Baumgartsbrunn Primary School was founded in the 1970s, allowing the children of local farm workers to attend school for the first time — which had previously not been possible due to the distance to the capital of Windhoek (40 km). The Baumgartsbrunn facility is a boarding school, where students and teachers stay throughout the school year.

The Baumgartsbrunn Primary School hosts around 200 students, ranging from 7–14 years old. Students are speakers of the Khoekhoe (Damara) language group, which has a low social status in Namibia.

The previous school building had stable walls, but an aluminum ceiling made conditions very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. Some of the classrooms didn’t have any windows, and the outside area needed renovations in order to create a safe space for play. The school was at risk of being closed, which would mean that most of the children would have no access to education and would have to return to their parents’ farms.

The newly renovated school opened in August 2021. In addition to Acronis’ help, work on the school building was directly supported by the company’s founder and Chief Research Officer Serg Bell and his daughter Sofia. Later Acronis funded a computer classroom for the school so that the children have better educational and life opportunities.

Gallery

View all images › View all videos ›

News from the project

Expanding access to education and digital skills at…
Founded in the 1970s, Baumgartsbrunn Primary School was established to give children of local farm workers access to education for the very…
2021 – 365 days of doing good
Making a positive difference in lives, that’s what that drives our every move.  We believe in equality for all – it’s as simple as that.…
Rebuilding education and dreams in Namibia
The Acronis Cyber Foundation is excited to announce the renovation of a school for the children of Baumgartsbrunn in Namibia, together with our…
Show all news

About the country

Country

Namibia, South Africa

Capital city

Windhoek

Population

2,4 million people

Currency

South African Rand

Major languages

Mainly English, with Owambo as the second most spoken language

Travel information

Namibia’s climate is hot and dry, especially on the plateau where the Baumgartsbrunn Primary School is located. The average daytime temperatures lie around 30° C in January and 20° C in July, while nighttime temperatures drop to around 17° C in January and 7° C in June. Rainfall is rare between June and September.

Sightseeing

Sossusvlei Dessert

Namibia has some of the most spectacular sand dunes in the world. Shifting and changing shape with the wind, they’re transformed into new visions of beauty every day. Admire the view from a distance, or climb them and enjoy sandboarding back down.

Photo: Unsplash

Etosha National Park

This spectacular wildlife park is dominated by the Etosha pan, a massive mineral salt deposit that can be seen from space. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin — the floor of which was formed over 1 billion years ago — and fills up only for a short period of time when rains are heavy. The park is rich in wildlife, and the “big five” (African elephant, black rhinocero, cape buffalo, African lion, and African leopard) can be seen here — as well as over 100 other types of mammals and thousands of birds species.

Photo: Unsplash

Fish River Canyon

Part of the Ai-Ais–Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Fish River Canyon is one of the largest canyons worldwide, after the Grand Canyon in the USA. The park and canyon are well worth a visit — stay for the day, or tackle the Fish River Hiking Trail, an 85km hike that can be completed in 4–5 days and is open from April through September.

Photo: Unsplash

Kolmanskop

The most popular ghost town in Namibia, Kolmanskop become one of the richest towns in Africa during a diamond boom in 1910, but was abandoned over the following decades and covered over by windswept sands. In 1980, the touristic potential of the ghost town was rediscovered, and some houses were dug out and restored. These are now open to visitors, though an entrance permit is required.

Photo: Unsplash

Deadvlei

Deadvlei is a white clay pan located near the more famous salt pan of Sossusvlei, inside the Namib-Naukluft Park in Namibia. Some of the most iconic photographs of Namibia come from this area of the country. The area’s dead camel thorn trees — many of which are believed to be over 900 years old — are quite striking, and stand in stark contrast against the white pan floor.

Photo: Pixabay

Travel tips

Hotel recommendations

Hilton Windhoek

Places to eat

The Stellenbosch Tasting Room

Best souvenirs from the country

Wooden masks and figures, fabrics, bottle top magnets, wooden and rag dolls, products made with macalani seeds, musical instruments, dry meat, Namibian wine

Taxi

Dial a Cab

Travel agencies

XL The Travel Professionals

Interpreting services

AngloPremier

Proposed one week tour

Day 1: Arrival to Hosea Kutako International Airport. Windhoek city tour

Day 2: School visit

Day 3: Etosha National Park

Day 4: Deadvlei, Sossusvlei

Day 5: Trip to Luderitz, city tour

Day 6: Kolmanskop

Day 7: Fish River Canyon

Read what community says about the project

Thank you so much for your donations, We are overjoyed by your support throughout all these years. Without your generous donations and support, Baumgartsbrunn Primary School would not be able to serve teachers, learners, and the community at large. You made it possible.
M. Garises
School Principal
With your help, it has become possible to give Baumgartsbrunn and all the farmers’ children the first step into a networked, global world. The children learn how to use computers, which strengthens their education and gives them future opportunities that were previously unimaginable.
School teahcer