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ACQUISITION
CHILDREN’S
VILLAGE NAMIBIA
The Congregation assumed the responsibility for the
Children’s Education Centre (CEC) in Usakos, Namibia,
on October 23. During a ceremony Frits Koopmans, the
founder and the director, turned over the statutes of
the ‘Children’s Village Foundation Usakos’ to Brother
Broer Huitema, Superior General of the Brothers CMM.
A large group had gathered in the great hall of the
complex, which is located in the desert northwest of
Windhoek, the Namibian capital. Many people thanked
Frits and Hanneke Koopmans for their commitment.
They started the project in 1991 which initially provided
housing to eight street children and has developed into
a centre for forty children. ‘He who saves a child, saves
the world’, is their motto. Located next to CEC is ‘Plot
65’, where five former residents, who in the meantime
have become adults, can continue to live. They work
in the children’s village, in the garden, at the adjacent
school, and at the company connected with the school,
where bricks are produced from the desert sand.
Homage
Several speakers from the Namibian society gave
speeches. However, it was the children who let
themselves be heard. In song and dance they
paid homage to the Koopmans couple. They were
accompanied by an Indonesian orchestra with Kolintang
instruments. Among those present were many
supporters of the project, including the Ambassador
of Indonesia who gave a speech.
The Superior General, Brother Broer Huitema, recalled
the early days of the centre. Back in 1991 there were
already ties of friendship between the family Koopmans
and the brothers. Brother Emeric Goossens, who was the
Regional Superior in Namibia at the time assisted in the
formulation of the statutes of CEC. Nearly twenty years
later, thanks to the increasing number of vocations
in Namibia, the brothers will be able to take over the
responsibility from Frits and Hanneke Koopmans, who
now will be able to enjoy their retirement. The superior
14
Children of CEC.
Namibia
general wished great success to the Brothers Rikardus
Rumangun and Johannes Mateus, who will assume
the daily running of the centre. Together with Brother
Gerard Mopeli Sehlabo they form a small community,
known as ‘St. Vincent the Paul’, in the house where
the family Koopmans has lived for many years. It is
an international community: the three brothers are
respectively from Indonesia, Namibia and Lesotho.
Heritage
Brother Broer Huitema thanked Frits and Hanneke
Koopmans on behalf of the Congregation: “for
everything you have done, for your dedication, your
great efforts on behalf of the disadvantaged children”.
He made it clear that he realized that it was not easy to
say goodbye, but he gave them the assurance “that we
will cherish this project as your heritage”. The superior
general did not come with empty hands. The General
Board of the Brothers CMM had decided to donate