Paheja Siririka

WINDHOEK – The Japanese government last week donated four classrooms and a storeroom worth a combined N$919 000 to the Martti Ahtisaari Primary School in Wanaheda.

The immediate beneficiaries of the new block are 122 learners in Grade Two and 42 learners in Grade Three who attend afternoon lessons. 

Japanese Ambassador to Namibia Hideaki Hadara officiated the handover of the classrooms to Veno Kauaria, Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. 
“Education is one of the priority areas for the government of Japan in its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP) to Namibia,” stated Hadara.

 He said Japan believes that investing in children will secure a better future of any country. 
“With such a concept in mind, we keep on supporting the construction of the classrooms, which is one of the most effective ways to improve the learning environment of the children. There are so many children who are still forced to study in the afternoon or in temporary classrooms because of the lack of permanent classrooms,” he said.

Martti Ahtisaari is the 38th school in Namibia the Japanese government has assisted in constructing school blocks. 

“GGP aims at achieving a direct and immediate impact on the well-being of the disadvantaged communities at the grassroots level by supporting relatively small development projects in the areas of local needs such as education, agriculture and health to be implemented by non-profit organisations and local authorities,” explained Hadara.

CK Blessinas Investment CC, which constructed the classrooms, said it took six months to complete the project. “It was not an easy project to complete, especially with a limited budget which was affected by foreign exchange loss at a time of the imbursement of the grant to the school. However, the project has been completed in the Harambee spirit, where everyone works together towards the prosperity for all,” outlined Hadara.

The implementations of the GGP has been in existence in Namibia since 1997. “To date, 61 projects has been supported, amounting to approximately N$43.4 million,” said Hadara.