Paheja Siririka 

After receiving 838 applications, the Old Mutual Namibia Foundation has identified two schools in three regions over three years that it will be assisting with chairs and desks, starting from this year up until 2026. 

In the Zambezi region, repairs of chairs and desks will be done at Silumbi Combined School while the supply of new chairs and desks will be to Mavuluma Secondary School. 

“In the Omaheke region, repairs of chairs and desks will be done by Gunichas Roman Catholic Primary School, while the supply of new chairs and desks will be given to Christof Ngatjizeko Primary School as well as Drimiopsis Primary School (Sponsored by Futurenergy Consultancy CC),” said Mignon du Preez, the foundation’s marketing executive. 

In the Kunene region, repairs of chairs and desks will be done Okapara Mobile Unit (Ondao School), while the supply of new chairs and desks will be to Elias Amxab Combined School. 

Du Preez stated the Foundation firmly believes that together, change can be derived. 

A teacher at Elias Amxab Combined School, Juliane Nunes told Youth Corner that this wonderful gesture by Old Mutual Foundation is a prestige, as learners share chairs and desks, which is not good. “We are one of the secondary schools in the area that has a lot of pupils; this is a great initiative by OMF. We end up sharing desks and chairs, which is a problem,” shared Nunes. 

She said with a total of 810 learners, they always end up sharing these necessities, adding that they have adopted a process of rotation due to a lack of classrooms. 

“On Mondays, grade one learners come to school, and those in preprimary would attend under a tree, but we change during winter. We rotate and some come on Tuesday,” she said. 

According to her, the school would require about four additional classrooms to fill that vacuum. 

The head of the department for languages at Mavuluma Combined School in Zambezi region, Imasiku Eric Ntelamo, said he is overseeing about 1 065 learners from grade zero to nine, and this assistance will go a long way, as he is faced with several issues at the school. 

“Our situation is worse on the ground; we are blessed to be aided with this by the Foundation,” said Ntelamo, who added that they need additional classrooms, and the grade eights are taught in a tent. 

Furthermore, the teacher-learner ratio is a hurdle as he now deals with classrooms that have 53 learners per teacher, instead of 40,” he said. He said they do not have an administration block and share offices. “So, more classrooms are needed to accommodate learners and sort of give a breather for teachers to do their work properly,” said Ntelamo. 

The objective is to transform education in Namibia by addressing a pressing need in the education sector for school chairs and desks by fixing or donating new ones, as we believe a comfortable and conducive learning environment plays a crucial role in encouraging a love for learning, he said. 

Old Mutual Foundation acknowledged Futurenergy Consultancy CC’s pledge of N$ 50 000 towards the initiative. 

-psiririka@nepc.com.na