Cecilia Xavier
OTJOMURU – The Otjomuru Combined School has been renamed the Doctor Libertina Inaviposa Vihajo-Appolus combined school in honour of liberation stalwart and former Prime Minister Libertina Amathila.
Amathila was crucial in the establishment and development of the Otjomuru village in the Epupa constituency.
The school was established in 2001 under the Ondao mobile school at the Okau village and the 23 learners were taught in a tent by one teacher.
In 2008, the school was relocated to the Otjomuru village, which is home to the Ovatwe community, as a permanent school that offered grades from one to five.
Amathila came to know the school in 2013 when her office was tasked to run a special programme for the marginalised community under the Office of the Prime Minister. After retirement, she started philanthropical work at the Otjomuru village and school in 2016.
To date, the school has close to 300 learners from grades zero to nine.
Speaking at the renaming function last week, Anna Tjazapi, the principal of the school, said Amathila completed the hostel with all the necessary things that are supposed to be there like beds, matrasses, bedding, blankets, up to the lockers, cutleries, plates, and everything in the kitchen for every learner.
Speaking at the same occasion, deputy minister of gender Bernadette Jagger noted that the occasion was to give prominence to the name of Libertina Amathila, for the role she played in Otjomuru, especially the development brought to the village.
“I can tell you all the developments that you see here today were initiated and planned by the doctor and it is not for nothing that they say she was a good planner,” Jagger noted.
Praising Amathila, Jagger indicated that the remarkable work she did was out of her good heart and not to receive prominence or payment in return or receive praise.
“Doctor donated her time, energy, skills, money, talent and experience to help the marginalised communities and in particular the Namibian children in this part of Kunene region to get educated. Doctor Libertina Amathila never did this philanthropical work for fame or recognition, she never did what you heard about and what you see here today for people to praise her. The people of this country lie close to the heart of doctor,” she highlighted.
Amathila’s granddaughter Liberty Appolus said the renaming of the school to her grandmother is a great way to honour her.
“I must mention that this village amongst the other villages really stuck to her heart because of the kindness of people here who are hardworking, therefore, she and her development partners started to invest more in the infrastructural development of this village. As you can see, Otjomuru is a fully-functional village with all the needed amenities, including access to the main electricity grid,” Appolus said.
*Cecilia Xavier works for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in Opuwo.