Selma Ikela
WINDHOEK – A Windhoek based woman who established a project to mentor high school girls from broken homes and disadvantaged backgrounds needs funding. The project catering for girls from 13 to 21-years, aims to inspire mentees to focus on schoolwork and have a positive outlook on life.
Excitingly, one of the project mentee graduated this year with a Master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Namibia while one of the mentee at high school who was in Grade 8 last year scooped nine certificates of excellent performance. At the moment, the first intake is done with their Grade 12 and they currently at university.
Founder of the project called Vision Core, Aletta Eises who studied education and psychology said their focus is on education for the mere fact that someone who does not have rich parents can get out of that difficult situation if they concentrate on studying.
Eises stated the aim of the project is to also make sure the mentees have a positive outlook on life because what they observed is that these mentees do not have role models from the environment they come from.
“What they see happening around them, they see gomchas (thugs) and there are teachers but they look up to gomchas because they have nice and big cars and staying in nice and big houses while sometimes the teacher might not have these things and they (children) think they should not have focused on education. Our function is to re-direct them to what is right,” the sociologist said.
Although, the project gets sponsorship such as drinks, more is needed. Eises told New Era they do not necessarily need money but business people and organisations can support their seminars by providing t-shirts, pens, notepads or transport for girls to get to the venue.
“We want the community and business people to support an initiative like this. Government should also support this projects because it is becoming difficult when we do it on our own,” stated Eises who also uses her own funds for the initiative. Vision Core host seminars and conference where 10 mentees selected for three years.
Eises is being assisted by two other mentors whom she counselled herself. At the seminars, they share with attendees how to set their vision and mission and put small steps in place to reach their goals.
“For example, if you want to become an engineer, you must pass your high school and university and these are the same goals that they need to go through first to reach their goals,” she noted.
In addition, Eises said most of the children she works with are not getting support from their parents when it comes to education.
“ Their parents are not even asking for their books. They are surrounded by shebeens and they rarely get time to study or sleep. Sometimes the girls are going to school hungry,” remarked Eises.
She added she was happy that most of the mentees where not bullied. She also added that none of the girls mentored fell pregnant.
Eises also run a radio talk show on Damara/Nama radio station where they talk about study methods, bullying and pressure.