Keetmanshoop
Efforts by the Kronlein Primary School to build a school hall received a welcome boost after a local company donated N$ 15 000 towards the project. Director of Ngoshi Investment cc Marvin Uandara handed over the cheque at a small ceremony at the schoolground at Keetmanshoop on Wednesday.
Uandara said the company wants to give back to the community and it is a privilege to contribute to something that will be useful to the Namibian child. “This is for the children to have a better education and better future, as education is the greatest equaliser,” he said.
Uandara, whose child is also a learner at the school, urged learners to study hard and utilise the good facilities they have at their disposal, saying some children are not as privileged to have access to such good facilities.
Deputy chairperson of the school board Louis Barry thanked the sponsors for their contribution, saying the development of a hall is long overdue, given the school’s 44 years of existence, and said he is happy that what started as a dream will soon be reality. “This is a farfetched dream and I hope more parents and businesses get involved, so we can finish with the construction soon,” he said.
The construction of the hall started in 2014, but the school relies largely on donors to fund the project, on top of income generated from the school’s fundraising activities. Once completed, it is set to be one of the biggest halls at Keetmanshoop.
With the project needing about N$3.5 million in total, Namdeb and Anglo-American are amongst sponsors to have already pumped in about N$350 000 and N$300 000, respectively, while the governor’s office donated 5 000 bricks towards the project.
Principal Hendrik Coetzee said the hall would be able to accommodate about 1 200 learners upon completion, adding that the facility will not only be used by the school, but by the entire community. “It will also serve as a community hall, as we have made provisions that the public can also utilise the hall,” he said.