Malakia Nashongo
OPUWO - A new classroom block consisting of five classes and a storeroom has been inaugurated and it was handed-over at Etoto West Primary School by the Langer Heinrich Uranium (Pty) Ltd and Nedbank of Namibia.
Etoto West Primary School hosts 376 learners from Grade One to Seven and it is situated about 144 km North-East of Opuwo in the Kunene Region.
The school was opened and started offering classes in 2006.
The aid came about when the Langer Heinrich Uranium became aware of the dire situation in which learners and teachers at Etoto West school find themselves.
Apart from supporting the Namibian education sector for the past decade through numerous mathematics, science, sport and feeding projects, Langer Heinrich Uranium have taken a step by supporting educational infrastructure development through its classroom project.
“Many of our Namibian children as young as six years old are exposed to all kinds of weather conditions while attending school in classrooms made up of traditional structures,” stated Marius Sheya the Governor of Kunene Region.
His speech was read by his Special Advisor Katuutire Kaura.
The classroom will enhance the learning condition of the learners as they will no longer be exposed to the cold, rain and wind. This will improve school attendance, classroom concentration and learners’ interest which will have a positive influence on the improvement of the overall quality and outcome of education in Namibia.
“The nation will benefit from increased number of educated Namibians in a long run,” Sheya stated.
The governor further urged learners to take care of the newly-constructed classrooms and study hard as education is a lifelong process. “I envy you and wish you a very liberating, informative, rewarding and enriching educational journey as a Namibian child,” stated Sheya.
He also saluted and urged teachers posted in remote areas to continue imparting their skills and equip Namibian youth for the future challenges.
“Yours is a noble job and the role you play in a child’s life is never to be undermined,” he stated.
Johan Roux, the Managing Director of Langer Heinrich Uranium urged both learners, teachers and parents to take care of the classrooms to enable a good environment for teaching and learning and he wished learners all the best in their education and that Etoto West Primary School Unit continue to be a true example of Namibians working, studying and supporting each other.
Head of Marketing at Nedbank Namibia, Gernot de Klerk stressed humanity is the one thing that bands people together and the only thing that people need for a common purpose to change the world for good and this is what motivated Nedbank to support learning of the Namibian child.
One of the grade seven learner at the school thanked Langer Heinrich Uranium and Nedbank Namibia for coming to their rescue from the harsh and inconvenient weather conditions that they have endured by building them modern classrooms and wish them blessings and grace from the heavenly Father.
Caption (Kaura): Advisor’s assignment… Katuutire Kaura, the Special Advisor to Kunene governor Marius Sheya delivering a speech on his behalf during the inauguration and handing over of the classroom block at Etoto West Primary School.
* Malakia Nashongo works as an Information Officer for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) in Opuwo, Kunene Region.