WINDHOEK– The top performers of coastal high schools in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Lüderitz were surprised with book prizes for their excellent scholastic performance.
Much to the delight of the learners the book prizes turned out to be an Asus Fonepad (tablet type phone). According to the Public Relations Manager for Manica Group Namibia, Nolito Marques, the company decided to reward these learners as an encouragement for others to follow suit. “Manica is delighted to present these awards to the learners, as we believe their hard work and commitment has been an example for other learners. Commitment and excellence is some of the values of Manica, and it is gratifying to see young people showing the same dedication as we do to our clients and service delivery, he told the learners and principals at a brief get-together at the company.
Marques further notes that many current and previous staff members of the company used to attend the coastal high schools. “Since Manicas establishment in 1924, we have seen many promising young people employed with us and later on reaching great heights in their careers. Most of our employees have all been learners at the coastal schools at one time or another. We felt that we needed to give something back to our schools by way of showing our support and encouraging the youth to excel in everything they do.”
The invited learners were kept in the dark as to their book prizes until the last minute. The tablet phones were hidden from view in special gift bags. “I could see the learners didn’t know what to expect and some seemed slightly bored waiting for the function to finish. However, when we coaxed them to take the book out of the bag, their faces lit up instantly,” says Marques.. The learners were also invited to contact the company if they were interested in finding out more about logistics as a possible field of study.
Manica invested some N$40,000 in obtaining the special tablet phones for the learners as part of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme. The company also sponsored gift vouchers (N$5,200) to various Walvis Bay based primary schools and a further N$1,500 to the Helena van Rijn Primary School in Lüderitz.