WINDHOEK – 28 July 2014 is a date that is very hard to forget for Alida Swartz as on that day she lost a kindergarten she built from scratch to a fire.
‘’We lost everything in the fire, all our documents, all the kids’ reports, the only thing we saved was the children,’’ recalled Swartz the owner of the ruined ‘Love Your Neighbour’ crèche.
Staff didn’t have time to remove the belongings but they just wanted to rescue and save all the children from the blaze, which they did.
The kindergarten, located in Okuryangava, accommodates between 200 and 300 children ranging in age from one to five years old.
The fire started late afternoon at 16h00. The children were watching television and staff still don’t know where the fire started and are very sure no cooking was taking place at the time – but instinctively they managed to save all the kids.
They lost all their belongings such as the school computers, clothes, televisions, cupboards, children’s reports, graduation gowns and school uniforms that were all consumed by the fire.
The kindergarten is now being rebuilt from scratch with the help of some parents who are donating food and blankets, and one of the UN agencies.
Swartz loves children and she is also involved in helping the youth to get off the streets and training them to work for themselves.
‘Love Your Neighbour was established in 1991 and it turned 23 years this year. Swartz and her husband started the kindergarten as the first crèche in Okurangava, and they registered it in 2001.