Miniphänomenta

Different – but no less magnificent!

Since 2017, our main project has been the Hawelti Mobile.

However, we have since realised that, following the war and the many other challenges facing the local people, this project is not entirely suited to the current situation on the ground. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we have decided to discontinue this project for the time being.

Further information can be found here in our completed projects section.

But this is also what has driven us so far: recognising what people really need and responding to it.

What we have also noticed is that the children in the surrounding areas of Aksum continue to be very eager to learn and, in our opinion, represent the future of Ethiopia.

In addition to their ‘thirst for knowledge’, we also find that the pupils often ask: ‘Why should I learn to read and write – when I grow up, I will work in the fields or stay at home with my children and household’.

We want to continue to give the children a vision and encourage them to learn.

We are therefore delighted to have Miniphänomenta from Flensburg as a new partner, enabling us to implement our idea in a different and more cost-effective way.

The idea behind Miniphänomenta is not new to us; we have been considering it for some time and wanted to implement it in Addis Ababa.

The concept was developed in the early 2000s at the University of Flensburg under Prof. Dr. Lutz Fiesser and a team of research assistants and doctoral students.

One of the goals of Miniphänomenta is that ‘pupils and teachers experience demonstrable, positive changes in STEM-related skills (experimental competence) and personality traits (motivation, interest, self-concepts).’

How is Miniphänomenta implemented?

Prof. Dr. Lutz Fiesser developed 52 exhibits that can be built using simple materials. Ideally, this is done together with pupils, teachers and parents.

The joint creation process already fosters a sense of community. And the children can then experiment at any time.

A further development is to ‘bring’ the exhibits directly to the schools online.

How do we at Hawelti e.V. want to implement Miniphänomenta in a first step?

In a first step, we will take a closer look at the concept here in Germany.
Certainly, not all exhibits will suit the needs in Tigray.

This also depends on which of the required materials we can procure locally.

In a further step, exhibits will be created in schools that are interested in participating (it is extremely important that teachers support the idea).

If the idea is well received in schools, we will expand it. In this case, we plan to implement a multiplier/facilitator who will then act as a contact person for us and the schools.