On 11 May 2016 the two Namibian football coaches Thuba Sibanda and Juliana Skrywer were bid farewell by Luise Haunit, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Christian Schlaga, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Embassy. The two coaches will participate in an International Coaching Course in Kamen Kaiserau in Germany from 25 Mai to 03 June 2016.

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

The cooperation between the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is based on their common desire to use sport, and in particular football, as an instrument to help achieve development objectives. The initiative focuses on training and personality development in specific environments. As a contribution to social development, the goal of sustainably teaching social skills and universal values 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 selected sports coaches focusing on football, including the two Namibian coaches. During the course, the participants from around the world will become familiar with the Sport for Development approach and learn various methodological skills.

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