'I'm a child at heart!'
"Being with children makes you whole. You learn to listen more," says Vanessa Noterman, who has been running a preschool and aftercare center Kids@Heart in the capital for years."I think I'm just the kind of person who easily forms bonds with children... I think I'm a child at heart who makes children feel comfortable and free," says Vanessa.
Originally from Belgium, Vanessa never thought of working with children.
"I worked for a travel agency in Belgium. Often hotels have activities for children and I later became responsible for the mini club, which was responsible for the children's entertainment and there I realised how much I love it. I am one of those people who can pick up a toilet roll and think of ten games we could use it for," she says.
When she fell ill in her early twenties, she came to Namibia with her mother for a holiday where she later got a job.
Only when Vanessa later had children of her own did she start working with children again.
"When my children started going to daycare, I met my previous boss there. I started helping out over time and later started my centre with her," she recalls.
Kids@Heart is built on the foundation of learning through play. "Children were not made to sit in front of a blackboard for hours and take in information. I believe we have to make school an adventure and make children excited to go to school," she says.
At Kids@Heart, children also receive individual attention and emphasis is placed on emotional development. "There are arguments, but then we try to encourage the children to look within themselves. We ask them what their role was in that. Despite the fact that the other person's reaction was also wrong, what did you do? It makes a big difference in creating peace," she says.
Children's sense of fun is also a priority here. "Children play and we want to encourage them to play. We do various activities in which they have to play in different ways - on a carpet, with their imagination... We don't allow phones or computers, so they really have to learn play," she says. - [email protected]