About us
A school in Namibia, looking towards Germany.
Welwitschia Care, legally Senior Care Academy CC, is an educational organisation with a social mission, founded in Namibia in March 2025. We prepare young people for care assistant training in Germany and stay with them through every phase until they start work.
The founder
Birgit M. Schwinn
Founder and managing director
Care knows no borders, and empathy speaks every language. If we really want to solve the global shortage of care workers, we can no longer think of education in national silos. We founded this academy to build a bridge between countries. We bring together the best of different health systems: academic excellence that only grows into greatness through respectful and empathetic practice. Our graduates do not just learn medical skills. They become intercultural bridge builders who can guarantee excellent, humane care anywhere in the world. We do not simply export and import workers. We share knowledge to raise care to a new level worldwide.
What we work for
People who need care should live with dignity and security. Young people in Namibia want to find a meaningful career. For us, both belong together.
We see care as a whole task: professional skill, kindness, tolerance and the ability to stay with people with empathy in times of illness and frailty.
What we teach in Namibia
Preparation covers three areas. Healthy food and movement run through all three.
Language and culture
- German up to level B2, plus the language of care work
- Communication, teamwork and daily routines in German care homes and hospitals
- Intercultural skills and values in care
- Personal development, ethics and professional attitude
Care practice and medicine
- Care basics and aptitude in practice
- Hygiene, infection prevention and patient safety
- Medical aspects of ageing
- Food and movement
- Palliative care
Psychology and behaviour
- Psychology of ageing
- Supporting people with challenging behaviour, for example with dementia
- Care settings: at home and in care homes or hospitals
- Teamwork, resilience and self-care
Our locations
Classes are held in Windhoek so far. A second location on a farm is planned. Practical training currently takes place at the Zollernalb Klinikum in Balingen and Albstadt.
Fair recruitment
Trainees do not pay for their preparation: we pay for preparation courses, visa fees and the journey. From the first month of training, the clinic pays the salary set by the collective agreement. What applies during preparation is set out in a written agreement beforehand. We are currently applying for the seal „Faire Anwerbung Pflege Deutschland“ (Fair Recruitment Care Germany).
The team
The people who contribute their outstanding expertise:
Birgit M. Schwinn
Founder and managing director
Dr. Gabriele Junkers
Psychoanalyst and gerontologist
Yassin Kah
Osteopath
Marlies Kreiser
Educator, nutrition and sports specialist, Mindful-to-Work coach
Dr. Simone Schmidt
Sociologist and communication scientist
Monika Egger
Nursing expert Entrepreneur in the care sector
Dr. med. Catherine Adapoe-Doamekpor
Specialist in general medicine, psychotherapy and acupuncture
Get to know us.
Care provider, funder or press: we take time for your questions.