By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK Although community hostels (non-formal) help children to access education, some hostels are in such a poor state that they pose a health hazard to their occupants. Omaheke Regional Education Director Dr Theophilus Kamupingene told New Era last week that due to the poverty situation of some of the communities, mainly the San, financial contributions from communities to schools in the region were inconsistent. “Where will they get money and food for the hostels if they cannot even feed themselves,” he said. Due to this, other community members complain that “the San kids ride on their backs”. Community hostels, which are operated by communities, were introduced to overcome long distances that children in some rural areas travel to school. In the Omaheke Region, where 29 out of every 100 people are poor, communities cannot afford hostels. Consequently, some of the hostels have no ablution facilities, which put children at risk of diseases. Some hostels, made of make-shift structures, are not conducive to learning, he said. While other hostels are well equipped with basic needs such as beds and mattresses, Donkerbos and Helena community hostels do not have toilets. “The children go to the bush,” Kamupingene said. The region has 12 community hostels, namely Mphethuto, Epukiro RC, Omuhaturua, Morukutu, Eiseb, Vergenuogh, Otjiuaneho, Witvlei, Donkerbos, Ben Huur, Bluoberg and Helena, most of which accommodate San children Community hostels are highlighted as a challenge that affect access to education in the Omaheke Poverty Profile. The profile, a village level participatory poverty assessment, said if communities were expected to build their own hostels, government should at least help in running and providing food for the hostels. The schools provide one meal a day to the hostel occupants. The Ministry of Education does not support hostels run by communities because of the high costs involved. Officials dealing with hostels in the ministry were not available for comment yesterday on the number of community hostels in Namibia and the type of assistance the ministry gives. In January, Kamupingene presented a report on challenges facing education in the region in which he said “many poor communities are unable to sustain community hostels and in some respects, pose a health hazard to learners”. He said despite efforts by some principals to improve the living conditions of hostels, a lot still needed to be done. Ben Huur and Epukiro hostels rely on support from surrounding communities and farms, while Omuhaturua is subsidised by contributions from livestock auctions.