So, no condoms are distributed in high schools, are you kidding me? Tell me this is not true! I am asking this based on last year’s short-lived debate that emanated from the SWAPO Party Youth League urging government to consider distributing condoms in schools.
I mean distributing condoms to learners above Grade 8 is something that was supposed to be done without anyone forcing for it to be done. This is not even something that needs to be discussed. Ja, we know schools are places where only learning is supposed to take place and nothing else. The question is, is learning the only thing on the minds of people in Grade 8 to Grade 12? You know that the answer is a big “NO”.
It looks bad giving school-going children condoms but I am sure it will be a good measure in protecting them, while teaching them about sex education.
It’s also not necessarily accepted in our cultures to openly speak about sex or condoms with children but the reality is some of these children are indeed sexually active or else we wouldn’t be having teenage pregnancy in Namibia. In fact, according to media reports the two Kavango regions have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country.
I happened to sit in on an interview with fellow journalist Alvine Kapitako where she asked the interviewee’s opinion on distributing condoms in schools. He said, “Schools are supposed to be grounds of focus on education although the reality is that the young people in schools are also sexually active.”
Some people will think this is strange but it’s like this my people; children come from different backgrounds and when they meet in school they try by all means to fit into that environment. So some will have new experiences and some might want to explore new things. So they are all in danger of contracting HIV and other diseases and need to protect themselves should they embark on their sexual exploration journeys. – Eewa
By Sabina Elago