Lüderitz
Hard work, commitment and perseverance are what earned Elizabeth Malakia, a Grade 12 learner at the Angra Pequena Senior Secondary School, the Dux award for 2016.
The school held its academic award and valedictory ceremony at the German Hall here last Friday. Malakia received a laptop from the Lüderitz Waterfront Development and a pledge to pay the registration fee at the university of her choice.
“I would like to study at the University of Namibia (Unam) to become a chartered accountant and hopefully after seven years I will be successful and a qualified chartered accountant, which has always been my dream,” she remarked.
Malakia has already applied to the Unam and also intends to apply to the Namibian University of Science and Technology (Nust) this week.
Rui Tityende, originally from Lüderitz and a lecturer in politics and policy at Unam, then awarded learner Maria Sheefeni a Social Science floating trophy and N$1 000 for her academic efforts. Maria also received a small trophy that she will keep forever.
Tityende impressed upon the learners the competitiveness of the job market, pointing out that 15 years ago a Grade 12 certificate was an achievement guaranteeing a job, while today people with Master’s degrees are unemployed.
Thus working hard is not sufficient. One needs a unique set of skills to excel in life and set one apart from the rest. A habitual reading culture about things that matter needs to be developed, she further said.
Tityende urged the learners to stay away from alcohol and drugs, as these vices can affect their cognitive abilities. He also advised them to postpone sexual relationships until they are ready to deal with the complexities thereof.
“Learners should be more concerned about the quality of their friends than the quantity! One friend that is progressive is better than a 100 friends that will you take nowhere,” Tityende advised.
Further, he encouraged the learners not to be discouraged by poverty, but to commit themselves towards changing their lives and that of society.