Windhoek
Twenty-one Namibian students prematurely ended their studies at Loudima Institute for Technical and Vocational Training in Congo-Brazzaville and returned home on Saturday, due to what they termed “unbearable academic and living conditions”.
Several students who went to Congo-Brazzaville in March and November last year flew back on Saturday after demanding government bring them home before completing their three-year course.
More arrivals are expected, with five teachers and more students expected to land yesterday, New Era has learned.
“What are we doing there if there are no textbooks and there is no water?” asked one student, who requested anonymity, fearing victimisation.
Over 100 Namibian students enrolled for technical and vocational studies at Loudima, with financial assistance from the Namibian government. Of the 100 who initrially registered for the courses at Loudima, only 10 are reportedly willing to continue with their studies.
Students yesterday told New Era the institute is not accredited, does not have enough teachers, has no uniforms and the library is deficient and empty. The students were also taught in French, a language most of them have not yet mastered. They were supposed to attend six months of French classes, but the classes were apparently only offered for four months.
“It was unbearable. When you fall sick, you are told the car has no fuel to drive to the hospital, which is more 100 kilometers away,” lamented one of the returnee students.
The student showed New Era dark marks on her body as a result of bathing in water, which they claim is not suitable, as it is dirty and oily.
“We got drinking water from the nearest village, which is 25 kilometers away, but we spent up to five days without drinking water, because there is no petrol to drive the car,” said the student, adding that when they ran out of drinking water they drank water from the bathroom.
She said since arriving at Loudima in November she did not set foot in a classroom. “The whole of December we were sitting around, eating, sleeping and getting sick. In January we were supposed to start classes, but the (Namibian) project coordinator didn’t bring textbooks from Namibia and uniforms, so then we started demonstrating.”
It was after the students’ demonstration that the first intake received their stipend of US$200.
Another student added that the government sent condoms, but failed to deliver the textbooks. The group claims the institute is also not offering all courses, as indicated.
In addition, they said there is no electricity at the institute. They used a generator, that was only operational during certain hours. “If the generators fuel was finished we were left in the dark,” they said.
Students also claimed Congolese doctors misdiagnosed them because of the language barrier. Although there is a clinic at the institute, there is not enough medication, the group told New Era.
“The prescribed medication is written in French and our Namibian nurse does not understand French. The Congolese doctors were also prescribing the wrong medication. We can all go to the clinic with different complaints, but all return with similar medication. There was a young man who had an allergy but got medication for chicken pox.
“They think our problem is water and electricity, but our main problem is academic and health-related.
“If the academic and health issues were sorted out we could have remained there. We complained to the ministry, but nothing fruitful came out,” said another.
Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation spokesperson Helena Udjombala said permanent secretary Alfred van Kent is compiling a press release after speaking to the students individually.
Udjombala said van Kent met with the first group and is currently busy with the second group to ascertain their views, problems and concerns before he issues the press statement.