WINDHOEK – Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Lucia Witbooi has called on the Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture to revive the “My Future is My Choice” and “Window of Hope” programmes. 

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) in Namibia, My Future is My Choice was designed to reach out to young people with sexual health information as well as strengthen young people’s communication, negotiation and decision-making skills so that they are able to make safe choices related to their sexual health and associated risk behaviours. 
In light of the current escalating cases of gender-based violence (GBV), Witbooi stressed the impact that My Future is My Choice and Window of Hope programmes had on high school learners when they existed.

“We need those programmes to be strengthened to assist our girls and boys,” said Witbooi. 
Speaking at the #BreakFree from violence breakfast meeting organised by the Office of the First Lady, Witbooi said GBV should not only be the government’s concern. 

“We have to use different platforms to encourage our people to speak out against GBV,” she said.  
Meanwhile, the public relations officer in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Absalom Absalom, said the programme no longer runs in most schools as it should be. 

“This is because it is part of Life Skills, which is not a promotional subject and some teachers neglect the subject,” explained Absalom. 

Nevertheless, other programmes such as those offered by Star for Life in some schools aim at filling the gaps of the My Future is My Choice programme. 

Recently, the education ministry launched the National School Safety Framework which aims to assist existing programmes in schools in addressing GBV, explained Absalom.