Zebaldt Ngaruka
EPUKIRO – Assistant teacher of the Okajombo Kindergarten Zaungama Tjiposa said the interest of the village children propels her to teach in the face of a mountain of challenges confronting them.
Established in 2019, the kindergarten opened its doors to more than 30 pre-school pupils who went to primary schools in the Epukiro constituency.
The early childhood development (ECD) centre, which is yet to be recognised by the ministry of gender equality, currently accommodates 16 learners who, according to Tjiposa, are the motivating factors for them to teach. “The kids here are hungry for education, and we always try our best to deliver with little we have at our disposal,” she said.
She added that the centre is faced with many challenges, and in most cases, the teachers provide at their own cost to ensure that the Namibian child receives education.
“We do not have all the learning material here. The building we are operating from is not even in a good state,” the teacher revealed.
Tjiposa added that some parents are failing to pay school fees for their children, but that is not the case with teachers, who volunteered themselves to assist the community. “We even improvised on our own to get materials used in other early childhood development centres. We keep the standard of our centre by forking from our own pockets,” added the teacher.
Another challenge the kindergarten is facing is the lack of water and ablution facilities for both teachers and learners.
“This is a worrisome situation. We are located far from the village waterpoint, and we use our own efforts to have drinking water for the children here,” said Tjiposa.
The kindergarten, which is located next to the road junction heading to Ezorongo ndo and Ouetatuhe settlements, needs proper fencing for passersby not to steal or vandalise infrastructure.
“We are afraid to leave items like chairs in the venue as this is a busy road, and security is a concern,” she explained.
Tjiposa said the centre needs to be given attention, as it is also being used as a meeting venue for Okajombo village.
“This is the important gathering point of the community. The literacy classes are also conducted here,” she added.
The playground facility is one of the major things, that is needed to introduce children to different sports early.