Two Namibian Football Coaches participate in Sport 4 Development Training Course

On 11 May 2016 the two Namibian football coaches Thuba Sibanda and Juliana Skrywer were bidfarewell by Luise Haunit, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) andChristian Schlaga, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Embassy. The twocoaches will participate in an International Coaching Course in Kamen Kaiserau in Germany from25 Mai to 03 June 2016.

Ambassador Schlaga praised the programme, as football has a high potential for improving thesporting development of a country as well as the characters of its youths. Germany supports thisdevelopment through the training of coaches as they are important multipliers.

The cooperation between the German Football Association (DFB) and the German FederalMinistry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is based on their common desire touse sport, and in particular football, as an instrument to help achieve development objectives. Theinitiative focuses on training and personality development in specific environments. As acontribution to social development, the goal of sustainably teaching social skills and universalvalues to young girls and boys is widely accepted. This allows sport to step beyond its role in non-formal education and position itself as an education provider in a special sense.

To reinforce this trend, DFB and BMZ are organising their first multipliers' course for selectedsports coaches focusing on football, including the two Namibian coaches. During the course, theparticipants from around the world will become familiar with the Sport for Development approachand learn various methodological skills.

Mrs Sibanda said that she is very excited to travel to Germany. “I look forward to meeting newpeople and learning new information — including topics beyond the football pitch. I want to bringthat information back to Namibia so I can apply it here.”