KATIMA MULILO – In a drive to encourage the pursuance of further studies among secondary school learners the University of Namibia (Unam) Katima Mulilo Campus held a mock graduation ceremony last week.
The event was intended to motivate learners and employees of government and other institutions to enrol themselves at Unam for further studies.
About ten Grade 12 learners from various secondary schools in the Zambezi were invited to attend the event, which included numerous former staff and former students of Unam.
Motivational speakers including some alumni narrated their academic history and the personal sacrifices they had to make to reach their academic dreams.
One such alumnus is Regina Ndopu-Lubinda currently the Chief Regional Officer (CRO) in Zambezi Region. “We made a lot of sacrifices to attain what we have today. It does not come easy. The commitment and hard work should come from you. What you do today will determine your future. Our schools now have more resources than during our time. We want you to take over as leaders one day and for that to happen we want you to be prepared,” said Ndopu-Lubinda.
Elizabeth Nchindo, a teacher by profession, is currently studying for a Master’s with Unam. She stated that as a breadwinner it was going to be difficult for her to pursue fulltime studies but Unam has provided her with an opportunity to continue her learning without any hindrance.
“Unam is providing us with everything, even video conferencing, internet and the library. It has afforded me the chance to pursue further studies. As a breadwinner and a parent it was not going to be easy for me to resign my job and study outside the country,” stated Nchindo.
According to the director of the campus in Katima Mulilo, Dr Bennet Kangumu, education plays an important part and thus his institution deemed it necessary to engage learners and employees to enrol for further studies.
“The aim of this gathering is just to motivate you. We would want you to be at Unam come 2015. That’s the message we are sending to learners but for that to happen you need to work hard. Unam is very competitive,” stated Kangumu.
Dr Frank Chitate, a state veterinarian who was one of the motivational speakers said education is a continuous process that needs an overzealous society.
“If we become complacent, we risk becoming irrelevant and redundant. Let’s remind ourselves of NDP4 and Vision 2030. These can only be achieved through education,” stated Chitate.
He further noted that given the region’s susceptibility to foot-and-mouth disease, Unam has recently introduced a programme tailor-made to address such concerns but its ultimate success depends heavily on the performance of Grade 12s.
“There’s a new programme in veterinary medicine and wildlife. The Zambezi Region is endowed with domestic and wildlife. There are challenges with regard to animal diseases like foot-and-mouth and also opportunities in eco-tourism. Consequently, a career in veterinary medicine, animal health and wildlife management should be considered by you the Grade 12 learners,” he said.
Katima Mulilo campus, which traditionally only hosted the faculty of education, has introduced two new programmes to its curriculum, namely Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) Degree and a Higher Diploma in Animal Health.