By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Finding the funds to pursue one’s studies after school is a daunting challenge for any young person in Namibia. Yet, if you are one of the fortunate ones to get a bursary it is like a dream come true and a major step forward in living that dream life in the future. This is exactly how 18-year-old Romei Cloete and Olga Hainana felt when they received a fully-fledged bursary from NamPower to study civil engineering and carpentry from last year. “It took away the strain that most students think about as to where do I get the money to pay the university. One can’t study freely then, as you are thinking about where tomorrow’s funds will be coming from,” said Cloete who is at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. For visually impaired Hainana, conducting her carpentry studies at the Vocational Training College in Windhoek showed that her disability is not an inability at all. “I was not born with a disability,” said Hainana, who lost her left eye when she was still a child. “People like me are also normal and I thank God for choosing me to show others that anything is possible,” she added. Now like Cloete and Hainana, another group of 16 disadvantaged young people will benefit from Nampower’s bursary scheme this year to take up studies in the fields of electrical and mechanical engineering, education, commercial law, finance and accounting and information technology. Addressing the new bursary recipients at a function on Friday, Managing Director of Nampower Paulinus Shilamba said this year they would award bursaries at a cost of N$840 000 to 16 disadvantaged students in the country. Amongst the bursary holders are four students with disabilities who will be pursuing their education at the University of Namibia, the Polytechnic of Namibia and at the Valombola Vocational Training Centre in Ongwediva. These students were selected from nine regions in the country. Congratulating the students, Shilamba said their hard work and dedication had paid off and with the company’s assistance they should be able to complete their studies. “Your education must enable you to focus on developing the skills to make a difference in your communities and the country. By providing assistance to needy students combined with recognising good academic achievements, Nampower has begun to change lives for the better,” said Shilamba. The new bursary holders are joining 60 other students that the company has been financing over the past five years up to last year. That group is financed at a cost of N$2,5 million per year. Like most bursaries, the students are not expected to repay the money upon completing their studies. “These awards are not loans and you do not have to pay back in monetary terms once you have completed your studies. However, we expect you to complete your studies and plough back the knowledge you obtain by working and contributing to the Namibian society and the economy,” Shilamba explained. Over the past five years, Nampower has invested a great deal in the development of young people by offering 15 bursaries each year to learners to pursue their tertiary education. The majority of bursaries provided to these students are in the fields of science and technology. The new bursaries for the 2007 academic year are all inclusive as they provide for the students’ pocket money and transport fees, besides covering books, accommodation and academic fees.