From 18 – 19 February, a two day Juvenile Justice Workshop was organized at the Luderitz Youth Centre by the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture (MYNSSC). The workshop programme was led by Ms. Hilya Imene, Child Justice Coordinator from MYNSSC Head Office, and co-facilitated by Mr. Jan Scholtz, Acting Head of Centre, and Mr. Padraic Gerety, Peace Corps Volunteer. In attendance were over 20 stakeholders, representing the Namibian Prison Service, the Woman and Child Protection Unit, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Children Welfare, the Nautilus and Diaz Primary Schools, the Luderitz Secondary and Christian Schools, the Church Alliance for Orphans, affected parents, and members from church and youth groups. Bringing together such a diverse group of participants was very difficult as the workshop was originally planned for November of last year, but had to be postponed due to the absence of certain key individuals.

The reasoning behind holding the event was that, while juvenile justice is a serious issue in Luderitz, there exists no event or platform where it can be discussed. Indeed, many individuals in the community are unaware of the special system in place for juveniles in conflict with the law, and so the aim of the event was to inform the stakeholders about the juvenile justice system and about the rights and responsibilities of juveniles in conflict with the law. The eventual desired result of the workshop was to form a Juvenile Justice Forum in Luderitz.

The first day began with a presentation by Ms. Imene on the juvenile justice programme offered in Namibia and the roles of the stakeholders in implementing restorative, rather than penal, justice. Ms. Imene also touched on what measures exist to protect juveniles in conflict with the law and then initiated a lively discussion among the participants on youth crime prevention. Afterward, guest speaker Sergeant Rosa Tjihavero spoke on the role of the Woman and Child Protection Unit and what special procedures exist for the arrest, conviction, and imprisonment of juveniles in conflict with the law. For the last session of the day, Superintendent Kallie Goliath spoke on the role of the Namibian Prison Service and how juvenile offenders are given separate cells and protected from the remainder of the prison populace. Supt. Goliath also urged parents to become involved in their children’s activities, and noted that “Church works” in discouraging bad behaviour.

The workshop on the second day began with group work and presentations by the participants on the Child Justice Bill, detailing the special rights of children in arrest and trial proceedings. Following this session was a talk by Ms. Imene on the use of diversionary activities, such as community service and life skills programmes, as a way to re-educate juvenile offenders without subjecting them to jail time. The last of the guest speakers, Ms. Nghipuulenga Naukushu from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, spoke on the mission of her ministry and on the importance of the pre-trial screening that all juvenile offenders must receive.

The workshop came to close with a presentation on the benefits of setting up a Juvenile Justice Forum in Luderitz, which spurred the participants to begin discussing the membership and activities of such a forum. After careful deliberation, the Executive Committee was established and the first meeting set for early March. The participants provided positive feedback on the workshop, with several stating that they learned a lot and were excited to begin working with the forum on this important issue.

This event was made possible by a generous donation from Seaflower Lobster Corporation and by the hard work of the MYNSSC, and thus the Luderitz Youth Centre extends its deepest thanks for the support. Ms. Nghipuulenga Naukushu, ministry of Gender, holding her workshop.

The Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Program (SKEP) was initiated in 2001 in an effort to help preserve the natural beauty along the Western coast of Southern Africa. Since then the program has set itself a target to protect 135 species of plant and numerous globally threatened animal species by the year 2021. SKEP is hosted by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) with Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the government of Japan, Macarthur Foundation and the World Bank.

What is SKEP doing?

SKEP has recently launched a new awareness campaign, linked directly with the opening of the Sperrgebiet National Park which encompasses several different activities and projects based along the Lüderitz coastline. This includes:

• Developing a tourist information system and tour guide service in Aus

• Surveying wild brown hyenas in order to gain a better understanding of the animals habitat and behaviour (research run by Ingrid Wisel)

• Initiating a number of educational environmental awareness projects within schools in Lüderitz and Aus.

Activities include studying animals native to Namibia, visiting areas of specific natural beauty and encouraging care of the natural environment by carrying out various clean up operations.

Luderitz Schools First to Visit Bogenfels

On the 24th of January learners from Diaz Primary School and Helene Van Rhijn Primary School were the first to visit Bogenfels archway as part of a joint-venture between the Namdeb, the Southern Star Cluster schools and funding from SKEP. Learners were there to observe the rehabilitation of the succulents by Namdeb, to learn 5 more about the special plants (endemic) and to start gaining an awareness of the need for conservation of Namibia’s flora and fauna. The first visits will have a total 126 learners over a period of three weekends.

Learners From Brightstart Montessori Help Clean Up Desert

Tuesday the 11th February saw a group of around 40 children aged between 6 and 13 from Brightstart Montessori begin a month long litter pick operation along the road out to Agate Beach. Children were armed with rubber gloves and bin bags and spread out along the dusty roadside, picking up anything from plastic bottles to old tin cans. The two hour session was one of four weekly clean ups carried out throughout February in accordance with the SKEP educational program. Later in the year students will learn about the unique plant and animal life of the Sperrgebiet Park area.

On Monday the 2nd February students from every school in Lüderitz gathered in front of the Town Council to hand over a petition asking for an increase in the range of recreational activities available to the youth, a range which is currently rather limited. Following the tragic drowning of a grade 11 student, in the previous week the principals from Lüderitz High School, Lüderitz Primary School, Helen Van Rhijn School, Diaz Primary School, Brightstart Montessori and Lüderitz Christian School came together to discuss how to prevent similar tragic incidents in the future. Their solution was simple; by increasing the recreational facilities in town the youth of Lüderitz are less likely to become involved with dangerous or illegal activities that may result in physical or mental harm. A swimming pool, a cinema and an ice rink are amongst the suggestions they have put forward to the town council and members of the schooling community hope that they will receive funding or sponsorship from the Government.

“Our youth are the most important thing in this town,” said one school Principal, “the Council owes it to provide them with safe and fun activities.” His is a sentiment that is shared across the diversity of each school, regardless of age or colour and kids stood united, underneath banners proclaiming ‘WE DO NOT TOLERATE THI S NEGLIGENCE FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL ANY LONGER’ and ‘IF ELDERS HAVE RIGHTS, SO DO WE’, and, on a slightly more lighthearted note, ‘A POOL WOULD BE COOL’.

It is a common perception, at these sorts of events, to believe that the protesting is in vain. Whilst it is all very well to stand together, demanding your rights, the majority of the time you are ignored and the march becomes more for its own sake than to prove a point, a chance to skip half a days school and feel like you’re part of something bigger for a few hours. And yet wouldn’t it be wonderful if something did happen? If, for a change, the powers that be took heed and, instead of ignoring or resisting the common demand, they rose to meet it and decided that today they would do something, they would give what is asked of them. Is it possible that in a few months time there will be plans laid for a public swimming pool? The foundations for Namibia’s first ever ice rink? Granted there are numerous logistical problems; the lack of funding/ instructors/ equipment and so on, but despite this could the community receive what they want? Is it too much to hope for?