We are Make Change Possible e.V., or MCP for short.

We are a small, registered, charitable, non-governmental organization, supporting educational projects and programmes in Mayana, Namibia. We are entirely volunteer-run.

Katha has been involved with MCP since 2011. She joined a CAS trip as a Grade 11 student at Heidelberg International School. Upon return, she became a member and project leader. Since then, she has been project leader on several trips and has returned to Mayana year after year. In 2013, she was elected vice chairperson of the MCP Board. Since 2016, Katha has been the chairperson of the MCP board.

Katha holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Print & Digital Publishing from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada and has worked in environmental communications and campaigning. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Sustainability, Society and the Environment at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany. In her free time, Katha likes to explore the outdoors (preferably with at least one dog by her side) and binge-watch documentaries on rainy days.

Contact Katha at katha@makechangepossible.de.

Kathi first joined MCP in 2015 as part of a CAS trip to Mayana. She then became a member and project leader. In April 2017 she successfully organized the German counterpart of the Harambee Challenge, a run from Leipzig to the Namibian embassy in Berlin. In 2018 she decided to go on another project trip as project leader and in 2019 she was elected vice-chair.

Kathi holds a master’s degree in Health Education and Promotion and a bachelor's degree in European Public Health from Maastricht University. Kathi loves a warm spring day in nature when the grass is the greenest and mosquitos aren't out yet. Her passion is football and is involved in activities on and off the pitch. A day without laughing is her worst fear since she loves cracking (probably bad) jokes and banter.

Contact Kathi at kathi@makechangepossible.de.

Larissa joined the Project trip in 2018 as a Grade 11 student at Kopernikus Gymnasium in Blankenfelde. Her dream is to become a veterinarian and that's why she decided to do an internship for two months in Mayana after graduation. She was in charge of organizing and planning the extension and upgrade of the chicken house. Larissa became a project leader and is part of the extended board.

Contact Larissa at larissa@makechangepossible.de.

Christiane is a retired medical lab technician and taught the subject of microbiology since 1982 in Karlsruhe, Germany. Her motivation to engage with MCP: “Since I was born into this part of the world by chance, I can make a small contribution to improve the circumstances of life in Mayana and receive so much more in return.”

She is a founding member and held the position of secretary until 2021. She has been to Mayana many times. Her interests are: playing cello, painting, sports, and gardening.

Contact Christiane at christiane@makechangepossible.de.

Jackie joined MCP in 2018 as a volunteer to help spread the work of MCP to more people after learning about MCP and its mission from the chairperson of the organization, Katharina Voß. Originally from the U.S., Jackie is residing in Germany as she finishes her master’s degree in Sustainability, Society, & the Environment at the Kiel School of Sustainability. She has worked for two years with an NGO that works in Nicaragua and Ghana to alleviate poverty through programmes in agriculture, women’s micro-credit, clean water, and nutrition.

She found her passion for helping women and their families in her time interning with the micro-credit programme. That same passion she found with the women in Nicaragua has fuelled her current thesis work with the goal of empowering women through growing spinach in hydroponic systems in Mayana to add to the nutrition line of the school feeding programme of MCP. After her studies, she hopes to continue to work in the field of international development. In her free time, you can find her working on her startup project and attempting to cook new dishes.

Contact Jackie at jackie@makechangepossible.de.

While revisiting Africa in 2007, she came across the village of Mayana and was impressed by the open, genuine people she met there. Moved by this experience she made a mental note to come back with more time. A six-week exploratory project between a student, a teacher, and an African village became the foundation of the organization now known as MCP. After formally founding MCP in 2010, she served as chairperson until 2016 and advised the board until MCP’s 10th anniversary in 2020. Monika led the first official trip in July 2010 and accompanied many more trips after.

Heidelberg international school

MCP and HIS share many of the same values, such as sustainable action, global citizenship, intercultural understanding and respect. Through MCP, H.I.S. has been able to provide opportunities for students, parents, and staff to join projects that are built on these values with a particular emphasis on collaboration.