Main content
The GDR's Namibian children
At Christmas 1979 hundreds of Namibian children were taken to East Germany to escape the war in their home country. They would stay there for almost 11 years.
On December 18th 1979 hundreds of Namibian children were taken to East Germany to escape the war in their home country. But after communism in Europe collapsed in 1989 the children were sent back to Africa and an uncertain future. Johannes Dell has been speaking to Selma Kamati who was just four years old when she found herself experiencing a snowy East German Christmas.
Photo: Selma Kamati (far right of picture) and some of the of the other Namibian children.
Last on
Sat 19 Dec 202003:50GMT
BBC World Service except Australasia
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Fri 18 Dec 202008:50GMTBBC World Service
- Fri 18 Dec 202012:50GMTBBC World Service
- Fri 18 Dec 202018:50GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Fri 18 Dec 202023:50GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sat 19 Dec 202003:50GMTBBC World Service except Australasia
Featured in...
![]()
African history—Witness History
Listen to and download our programmes
Podcast
![]()
Witness History
The story of our times, told by the people who were there


