BEGIN OF APC

APC (Arts Performance Centre), was first founded in Oshikuku through harsh struggles of a proper building, or place to start this project. We managed and saw a huge plot in front of the catholic church; a so called no-mans-land. The headman there, at the time was happy and thankful for this possibility to have a development-project for the jobless youth, and with a kind handshaking – he said:

“Thanks, take this place and do it:” He sent his grandchildren to us for learning Violin. These kids later became music teachers.

After we cleaned the entire place from dumping material, bushes, grass, and snakes; the need of finances raised up. Late Fr. Hans Leu had good connections with the Lenten fund of Switzerland and other good friends who sponsored the realization of an arts center: to  build huts in the traditional style, and after the need of a stage, a safe, a secretariat, toilets, a storing room, etc.

How The Construction Was Done

1. Instead of the expensive bricks, we collected the beer bottles lying all over in the bushes, and desert. For every bottle, the collectors in the local community got 3 cents in reward. For every child, and jobless adult, it was welcoming income. Thousands of beer bottles were collected in one month.

2. At first, we traced a circle of 4 to 8 diameter depending on the different subjects of arts, the paintings, and the dancing hut at 8 diameter. For flutes, a 4 diameter, etc. The bottles, we led one by one across the circle line.  After one layer, we paved cement and the next layer again beer bottles, etc. Till 2.5m height.

3. Windows, and door frames, we measured precisely. The roof frames had to be made very strong, because it must hold the heavy roof.

4. At last, the roof from hard wood poles had been  constructed on the ground and, hoisted on top of the last cement layer. This was not that easy to find the exact centre point in the middle of the hut.

5. After plastering the walls, we started to paint all the huts according to the use and every hut got a different color. Here, we represent to you the blue Africa hut for the use of African musical instruments.

In APC Oshikuku, in Omagalanga and in Tsumeb; we were able to paste on all huts a name of a sponsor.

Above the door, we pasted a plate with the engraved name of the noble sponsor for this Trumpet hut. Peter Hans, was a Swiss Air Pilot and a good friend of Hans Leu. The first day, when his grandchild NATHALIE went to school, she was killed by passing the road from a careless car driver. Peter Hans said: “Nobody can bring me my lovely Nathalie back; but instead of flowers and money, I want to support African children in her remembrance. From this money, we could build 3 of such houses , and every day they are used to learn and play music for our life.

My sister Theres, was playing Mandolin and wanted to pay for this hut, which we use only for all types of Guitars.

This hut was sponsored by the sister of Hans Leu. She got always manager post in USA, and she knew what good education means for life.

End of 2002….

APC Oshikuku was given over to the indigenous people.  The leader; James Avelinus for Oshikuku, and Petrina Shilongo for the little APC in Omagalanga. Tsumeb was economically collapsed, because the big mine closed after workers strike. Thousands of workers did not have anymore jobs, the poverty and jobless youth raised high.

We managed and got a big house in the old Military place, where we cleaned up and built up one house after another. Instead of bottles, we used bricks because the bottles were brought back to the stores.

(The disadvantage of the bricks: They did not exchange the temperature like the air in the bottles did against heat and cold).

Omicron, an electronic Factory from Klaus in Austria. The Lentenfund of Switzerland, and Private friends sent us money to build this APC (Arts Performance Center)

A Paradise on Earth

 If all military garages and exercise facilities are transformed into APC, the whole world will be a paradise, where everyone feels free and would be happy.

At the end of construction of 14 houses, we changed the old four (4) dirty garages where the strong military trucks were repaired during the apartheid time of war. This was hard work for the builders to set doors, and window frames in the fire safe walls. In the end, all the buildings gave a flair of an African lodge, As well a big open-air stage, covered with grass and the half-round audience place for 250 people, this set placed the entire place in an artistic harmony.