By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK
“I am sure you will all agree with me that investment in education is essential for the development of any society. Education is one of the most important catalysts and is a key to the development of any country.”
This view was expressed recently by the CEO of Sanlam Namibia Holdings, Tertius Stears, during a bursary handing over ceremony with students of the Polytechnic of Namibia.
“As a people yearning to live in a country with less poverty, hunger and disease, greater survival prospects for mothers and their infants, better educated children, equal opportunities for women, and a healthier environment, we Namibians developed Vision 2030 with the main vision of creating a prosperous and industrialized Namibia, developed by her human resources, enjoying peace, harmony and political stability,” Stears said.
In order to develop the human resources that is necessary to transform the country, everyone should play a role. It is for this reason that Sanlam Namibia, through its corporate social responsibility programme, made education and training a crucial focus area.
“In 2002, a reward-based bursary scheme was introduced, to motivate, encourage and reward those students who despite lacking financial assistance and working under very difficult financial circumstances, worked hard to achieve good academic results.
“In conjunction with the Polytechnic of Namibia, each year students who perform very well but lack financial assistance are singled out, interviewed and awarded bursaries,” he said.
Since 2002 Sanlam Namibia has awarded 22 students who have showed excellence in their respective fields of studies with bursaries to pursue studies in the fields of accounting and finance, business administration, information technology, marketing and communication studies.
“To date, Sanlam Namibia has invested more than N$700 000 in the bursary scheme. Furthermore, the bursary students are availed internships and holiday jobs at Sanlam Namibia to introduce them to the practical and real world to augment on the theory they learn at the institutions.
“Some of the students have been fully employed by Sanlam Namibia after completion of their stu-dies, while others opted to find employment elsewhere,” he said.