Rundu
Learners with disabilities at Dr Romanus Kampungu Special Unit in Rundu received over 40 blankets, 10 mattresses and 10 cover sheets from Red Cross volunteers Tobi Bergemann and Manouk Feinendegen, both from Germany. The handover took place on Tuesday.
The two volunteers arrived in Namibia last September and will be leaving the country in August at the end of their one-year volunteer programme at the Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) in Rundu.
The Special Unit at Romanus Kampungu Secondary school is made up of learners from the two Kavango regions with various disabilities, mostly the visually impaired and albinism sufferers. The unit was started in 2008 and offers classes from Grade 1 to 7.
According to the two volunteers, in February two representatives of the division of inclusive and special education in the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture came to their offices in Rundu with a very touching story, which prompted them to seek help from Germany to at least buy blankets and mattresses for the children at the special section of Dr Romanus Kampungu SS.
“They were asking for a donation of blankets from our offices for the children of the special unit attending Dr Romanus Kampungu Secondary School. The kids are mainly from poor backgrounds and so we thought we could find a way to lend them a helping hand,” said Tobi.
“To get a better picture of the exact situation we made a turn at the hostel and started to look for funds from our friends in Germany,” said Manouk, the other volunteer. Most of the learners come from deprived families, who are often not capable of affording the educational needs of their children.
“We are very grateful for the donation. As you can see winter is approaching, now they’re not going to sleep in the cold. The blankets will keep them warm and they really appreciate your kind hearts. From the school, we thank you for the good deed,” said Emilia Mbangu, the principal of Dr Romanus Kampungu SS.