Zebaldt Ngaruka
A women-owned fishing firm, Kaitoro, recently donated goods worth N$50 000 to the Morukutu Primary School in Omaheke region’s Epukiro constituency.
Located in Otjijarua, the school was established with efforts from the village’s women's garden project in 1998. The donation includes overhead projectors with screens, sinks, cement, fences, iron sheets and other materials used for erecting roofs.
School head of department Andell Mbura received the donation.
She said the donated items will contribute to the efficient learning environment at the school.
“The overhead projector will help the teachers present lessons or other relevant information to the learners easily. This will bring efficiency, and contribute to effective delivery as well,” Mbura said.
She added that the building materials will be used to provide roofing to the school’s feeding programme venue.
“Our school consisted mainly of San learners, and the feeding programme was meant for keeping learners, especially from the marginalised groups, in school,” said Mbura.
At the moment, they do not have a roof over their feeding area.
As such, volunteer cooks face difficulties cooking in the open.
“They sometimes do not come if it’s raining or even when it’s too hot. It is a very disturbing situation, and it affects our teaching due to the tendency of some learners not turning up for school when the daily meal is not provided,” she continued.
She added that the village school has many needs, and still needs assistance from good Samaritans. “We do not have toilets at the hostel. Our kitchen is in need of assistance, as it is not adequate. Even our school sports ground needs serious attention for our learners to expose their talent on,” she appealed.
Mbura called on good Samaritans to assist the San community learners at the school with warm clothes since winter is approaching.
“Some learners vanish from school during winter, and that is not fair. That tendency must not be allowed. We have to work together and help where we can,” she stated. Hedwig Kaihiva, one of Kaitoro’s directors, said Morukutu is a community project school that needs everyone’s involvement.
“Education of our Namibian child is prime on our agenda.
We have observed that this school is needed at its inception, and we donated items worth N$70 000 in 2022, and again provided N$50 000 this year,” Kaihiva said.
The 2022 donation included 20 bunk beds, 20 mattresses, 20 chairs and a printer. Kaihiva added that the efforts of Otjijarua women who created the school must be lauded.
“This is a women’s company. My fellow director Christa Toromba knows the struggle of this entity, but as women, the education of the Namibian child is our priority and we tried our best to assist this school,” she said.
One of the Morukutu school board members, Akim Ngupahua, said the donation is a good gesture.
“As a board, we are overwhelmed, and hope other companies will join the plight of our schools as we are a community school with scarce resources.
We are very much thankful, and may the Almighty give them strength to help other lives as well,” he said. Situated about 50 kilometres north of Epukiro’s capital Omaueuozonjanda, the school accommodates 324 learners.
- zngaruka@yahoo.com