2018-03-13Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter Windhoek-The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in its quest to assist Namibian trainee workmen last week donated 20 desktop computers worth N$200 000 to the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (WVTC). Handing over computers, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Yiming, highlighted the importance of vocational training for national development and the economic contributions that WVTC makes to Namibia. Zhang stated China, as the second largest economy of the world, will continue to work side by side with Namibia to improve the latter’s quality of education and to help Namibia become a developed African country. Zhang encouraged WVTC students to work hard and to become ambassadors of friendship between the two countries by learning the Chinese language. “Both vocational education and general higher education are important components of the modern national education system and they are indispensable like the two legs of a person. The quality of people determines the quality of the nation, and the quality of the nation influences the development of the country and the progress of society,” reiterated Zhang. The ambassador said vocational education plays a very important role in promoting industrialisation by effectively improving the quality of workers, cultivating skilled and practical talents, helping improve the employability of workers and boosting the employment rate. “Vocational education is also an important ??and fruitful cooperation area between China and Namibia. The Youth Training Centre in Grootfontein donated by China has a building area of ??19 010 square metres and can train 1 500 young people at the same time,” reiterated the Chinese ambassador. He said that the embassy will continue to help educational institutions including the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre, to improve teaching conditions and education level. Dax Urbanus, Deputy Director of WVTC and Mr. Muvatera Ndjoze Siririka, representative of Hon. Itah Kandjii- Murangi, the Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation attended the event and expressed sincere thanks from the Namibian side to China for its donation. They said the donation is a good embodiment of the good historical friendship existing between Namibia and China and the latest donation would promote the teaching quality of WVTC greatly. WVTC students were requested to take good care of the equipment from China which has on the other hand given full scholarships to hundreds of Namibians to study in China paying for their air-tickets, board and tuition. China has also extended financial assistance to various local rural projects intended to uplift Namibians and create wealth in rural areas. 2018-03-13Staff Report 2
