US Fundraiser supports NaDEET!
On Friday 29th May, a successful fundraiser for NaDEET was held in the United States.  The fundraiser was hosted by the Second Congregational Church of Greenwich, Connecticut, a long time supporter of NaDEET.  The event featured performances by cast members from Broadway's The Lion King, as well as other singers and dancers, all volunteering their time to raise money and awareness for NaDEET's environmental education programmes.  A new short documentary about NaDEET was also premiered.  This film was generously produced, written, and directed by volunteer Branan Edgens, and will become available to a wider audience soon.  Thank you to everyone who attended and who has made a donation! The fundraiser successfully raised over US$7000, which is generously matched by an anonymous donor for a total of over US$14,000.  We can still raise US$3000 from the matching gift, if we receive US$3000 more in individual donations by 30 June 2009 to increase the total to US$20,000!  With the help of fiscal sponsorship from Yes is a World, a registered U.S. non-profit organization, all US donations made until the 30 June 2009 are U.S. tax deductible. Please e-mail the event organizer, Sarah Bittenbender, at sarahb@nadeet.org for more information about this unique donation opportunity.

Is it really that stinky?
Did you know that more than 50% of Namibians still use the bush as a toilet on a regular basis? The latest Bush Telegraph shines a light on this and many other aspects of sanitation. The whole issue presents the otherwise little mentioned topic with an emphasis on technology and habits for promoting both human and environmental health. Take a look inside to learn more about sanitation problems in Namibia and to discover the many innovative sanitation systems, which provide the solutions. Furthermore, the issue features an interview with Peter Arndt of the Clay House Project, which has developed one of the most effective toilet systems for the Namibian environment and people – the Otji-Toilet. If you have ever wondered what happens to your waste, how it ties into the environment and why good sanitation is so very important for our well-being the new Bush Telegraph is a must-read.

Now you can directly download this issue of the Bush Telegraph or visit our ‘Educational Material’ section to view any of the previous copies.

1 June 2009

It’s Time To Change!
NaDEET is excited to announce the release of its very first full activity book It’s Time To Change – Learning and Living For Nature. True to its title, the book, which is primarily designed for Namibian school children, sports 13 full pages of fun-filled activities in order to powerfully demonstrate the imminent necessity of adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. It makes environmentalism come alive by illustrating solutions to environmental problems typical for Namibia and particularly focuses on the Namib Desert ecosystem. Readers are guided through the activities and information by the two main characters Sustainable Sara and Addy the Horned Adder. While Sustainable Sara takes a critical look at many habits of the modern human, Addy the Horned Adder introduces the reader to the “lessons” we all can learn if we look to nature as a teacher.
The book was written and developed by our director Viktoria Keding, who has previously produced an activity book at the AfriCat Foundation. Furthermore, it was magnificently illustrated by Michelle Gaugler, a local artist from Helmeringhausen. The first 5 000 copies that have been printed with the generous sponsorship of Wilde Ganzen and deStEEN, two Netherlands-based organizations, will be distributed to schoolchildren visiting NaDEET Centre and throughout the country. Copies will be available to interested citizens within the country. As of today, you can also download the activity book directly as a PDF-file (2.6Mb) from the “Educational Material” section of our website.

21 April 2009