By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – MCA-Namibia (MCA-N) handed over seven upgraded schools in Oshikoto Region to the Ministry of Education last week on Thursday. The schools were renovated and modernised with funds from the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Oshinamumwe Combined School, Olupale Combined Sschool, Iipopo Combined School, Ondjamba Combined Sschool, Esheshete Combined School, Oshilulu Combined School and Uukumwe Combined School are now equipped with computer rooms, science laboratories, libraries and housing for teachers.
Uukumwe Combined School at Oshivelo, where the handover took place also received a multi-purpose hall that will also serve as a gym. It will provide for extra-curricular activities for learners.
The ceremony was attended by Oshikoto Governor Penda Ya Ndakolo, the CEO of MCA-N Penny Akwenye, representatives from the education sector, local and regional authority councillors as well as more than 620 learners and over 200 community members.
Oshikoto Governor, Ya Ndakolo, praised the American people for their praiseworthy support to Namibia.
“The MCA-N fraternity has made a huge impact in the education of Namibian children in general and the Oshikoto Region in particular. We are delighted to observe such kindness from you, and we have noted that the buildings erected are of quality and longstanding value,” stated the regional governor.
Akwenye emphasised the importance of sustainability and urged the government and learners alike to look after their new infrastructure by “keeping classrooms,
laboratories and ablution facilities in an acceptable standard by availing resources to address preventable maintenance problems”.
The colourful ceremony was marked by cultural performances and culminated in a vote of
appreciation from learners of all beneficiary schools.
Due to the extraordinarily difficult circumstances at Oshivelo, it being a transit town that comes with many social challenges such as limited recreational and after-school facilities for learners, Uukumwe Combined School qualified for the building of a multi-purpose/gym school hall in order to encourage learners of these largely disadvantaged communities to remain on school premises in the afternoons, instead of roaming the streets and possibly engaging in unwanted behaviour.
Jack Nangolo, a Grade 8 learner at Uukumwe Combined School could not hide his joy over the new facility sponsored by MCA-N.
“From now on some of our friends who don’t have a TV at home will stop going to the bars or shebeens, where they used to watch TV, because now we have a TV and other games in our school hall,” he said.
He said: “Five years ago, we used to feel ashamed and could not tell people that we are learners of Uukumwe Combined School. But today, because of the work done by MCA Namibia together with our government, we are very proud of our school.”
The seven schools handed over in the Oshikoto Region form part of a total number of 47 schools countrywide that have been renovated and upgraded by MCA-N through the Compact programme over the past years.
MCA-N is implementing development activities in the country’s education, agriculture and tourism sectors financed by the United States Government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to the value of US$ 304.5 million (N$3 billion) with the aim of reducing poverty through economic growth.
Forty-six percent of this amount (US$ 141.4 million) is budgeted for activities in the education sector.