WINDHOEK – In its effort to support education the Ohorongo Otavi Community Trust (OOCT), in collaboration with Support Ulm e.V., donated textbooks and teachers’ guides to Green Leave Primary School in Windhoek’s Okahandja Park informal settlement.
The donation forms only a small part of over 1 600 textbooks and teachers’ guides that are being distributed to schools in Otjozondjupa, Ohangwena, Oshana and Khomas regions and consists of textbooks in the subjects of English, Natural Science, Social Studies and Afrikaans for grades 4 to 7.
“This donation is our response to numerous calls from the minister of education to the private sector, to support education in areas of urgent need,” said Hans-Wilhelm Schütte, managing director of Ohorongo Cement.
During the launch of the Friends of Education in Namibia Special Initiative (FENSI) in 2017, the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Katrina Hanse-Himarwa called on willing friends of education to support the ministry in order to help solve the challenges facing the public education sector.
Green Leaves Primary School is among the schools on the outskirts of the capital that are struggling to secure enough textbooks and other study material.
According to Chanville Mckrill, principal of Green Leave Primary School, their current textbook ratio stands at three learners per textbook.
He noted it is a great challenge especially for the weaker learners as they have access to a textbook for only two days a week.
“We are happy for this gesture because we are in dire need of books and other educational material. Education is a very expensive endeavour and we cannot expect the parents of these learners, who are mostly unemployed, to buy books for their children. What you have done will alleviate many challenges,” Mckrill said.
Mckrill explained that despite these challenges they are coping as they remain positive and give it their all to ensure that the learners get the best education.
“This is not the end. To help mitigate some of the educational resource challenges that the public education system is facing, this year we will procure more textbooks for upper primary leaners,” he avowed.
According to him, this is their continued commitment to the future leaders of Namibia.
On an annual basis, OOCT and Support Ulm e.V. donate tons of cement towards the construction of additional classrooms and renovations of schools countrywide.
Support Ulm e.V. is a German non-profit organisation, which over the years has organised various fundraising activities to raise funds that are invested in various projects benefiting the Namibian population.