Omupanda
A group of friends and community members in Ongwediva in Ongwediva Constituency have made donations and pledged their support to one of the oldest rural schools in the area.
Omupanda Combined School was last Friday renamed Matheus Mudjanima Combined School in honour of its first school principal. Omupanda Combined School was established in 1935 and now has grades from one to ten.
Apart from the renaming, the school management also named a number of classrooms after former teachers and learners.
Families and friends of those honoured donated a number of educational aids including computers, printers, calculators, dictionaries, pens and printing paper, among others.
The school has also received diamond mesh wire for the fence and cash amounting to over N$28 000.
All the needs of the school soccer team and the soccer field itself were covered by the donors.
Some sums of money were also pledged during the event.
Those that pledged included the Minister of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Tom Alweendo, who is originally from a neighbouring village, local businessman Isai Nhinda and Nored CEO Fillemon Nakashole, among others.
School principal Reinhold Iita thanked those who contributed, maintaining the items contributed will assist with improved teaching and learning.
“For example, we had a serious problem with our school fence, but that problem is now solved, as we have received quite a number of wiring rolls. It is the same with calculators – we sat today to discuss how we are going to effectively use the calculators donated to us,” said Iita.
Iita however pointed out that apart from the fence the school faces other challenges such as a lack of an admin block, cuca shops that are in very close proximity to the school, dilapidated classrooms, teenage pregnancies and no computer lab.
Metropolitan/Swabow however promised to build a laboratory furnished with at least 35 computers. Some donors also gave internet devices to the school that can be used as a temporary solution.