Namibia: How Hilma helps children in remote villages learn to understand the world around them

Africa with André · 2025-03-26

19:36

What happens when a child growing up in a remote village never sees a map, a book, or a story about the world beyond their home? Hilma Weber knows firsthand—and she’s on a mission to change that.

In this episode, we chat with Hilma about her journey from Namibia to Switzerland and how her passion for books led her to create library boxes for underprivileged children. We dive into her beautifully illustrated Children’s Picture Atlas of Namibia and Africa, why maps spark curiosity, and how she’s inspiring a love for reading.

Plus, we hear a hilarious story about a roaring competition that terrified some chickens! 🦁📖🐔

Deutsch: Du kannst diesen Podcast auch auf Deutsch hören: “Africa with André auf Deutsch”

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Hilma Weber website: https://hilma-weber.com/

Examples of Hilma’s books: https://hilma-weber.com/books/

- Children’s Picture Atlas of Namibia

- Children’s Picture Atlas of Africa

- The Treasure Hunt (A Tale of Friendship)

- Hear Me Too

- The Feelings

Development Workshop Namibia: https://dw-namibia.org/ecd.php

Information about The Sahel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel

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Sound credits: uppbeat.io/ and https://pixabay.com/

Africa with André

"Africa with André" is a podcast where we "Celebrate Africa - One Story at a Time". With this podcast, I want to break down the misconceptions and misunderstandings that many people have about Africa – and to create a positive image of the continent.
Through interviews with partners and friends in tourism, we will listen to their stories: their experiences, their projects and about how they have made a difference in the lives of others.
I’ve worked in the Africa travel industry for over 25 years, and I’ve had many conversations over the years, both with guests and travel colleagues about spending time in Africa: what they expect it will be like, what they worry about. What their understanding and image of the continent is.
This podcast is not about giving you the normal tips of what to do – I am going to assume that you know that you will see Table Mountain when you’re in Cape Town. Rather, our conversations will highlight some of the goosebump moments you could have, and introduce potential new destinations to you.
I want to help you understand how a holiday in one of Africa’s 54 countries is something to be excited about, like a 5 year old is in the days before Christmas.
And just a quick note at the end: this is a project of love – not a job. I choose friends and partners that have stories which I find interesting and inspiring – and I hope you do too.

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