Iidhiya
The Ongwediva Constituency regional councillor Andreas Utoni has assured that education remains one of his first development priorities in his quest to develop the area and bring about upliftment.
Utoni said this at Iidhiya Primary School in Ongwediva yesterday moring when he donated solar lamps, fruit trees and clothes to learners of the school.
About 19 learners each received two fruit trees – guava and pawpaw. Nine received solar lamps and 10 received toothpaste and brushes, as well as uniforms and jerseys.
The solar lamps were donated by the mathematics lecturer at the University of Namibia (Unam) who is also a businessman, Rajesh Vaida – with his son who is a dentist at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.
All the learners who received lamps were told that once they passed Grade 7, which is the highest grade at the school, they should give back the lamps to the school.
A solar lamp is a lighting system composed of an LED lamp, solar panels, battery and charge controller, and there may also be an inverter. The lamp operates on electricity from batteries charged using solar photovoltaic panels.
“Solar-powered household lighting can replace other light sources like candles or kerosene lamps. Solar lamps use renewable energy with infinite supply which is cheaper than standard lamps,” said Utoni.
In addition, solar lamps reduce health risks as kerosene lamps, for example, have a bad impact on human health. However, solar lamps which may have higher initial cost are weather dependent.
Utoni said the Iidhiya school is one of the schools not electrified in the constituency but it will be electrified before next year March.
“Education must be first and other things later. You are young and you need to build your future first then other things later,” the councillor told learners.
He said his office would continue to make sure that the livelihoods of people have improved during his term.
Utoni further said that he would make sure that by the end of his term in 2020, every house in the constituency would have a fruit tree.
Rajesh Vaida said he would provide more solar lamps to the school when he sees better results stemming from his donation.
There are 243 learners at school, 11 teachers, one institutional worker and one administration worker.