The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has officially launched the country’s first-ever Aviation Safety competition. This innovative competition forms a vital component of the NCAA’s corporate social responsibility efforts and invites participation from all school-going children across the country.

Godfried  Matroos, senior manager of safety promotion and quality, shared his insights with Youth Corner, highlighting the competition’s primary objective of engaging and educating the younger generation on the critical subject of aviation safety. 

“The competition aims to cultivate a culture of responsibility and awareness from an early age, creating a lasting impact on how safety is perceived within the aviation industry. By targeting school children, the NCAA intends to lay a robust foundation of knowledge concerning aviation safety protocols and practices,” he said.

Matroos expressed that aviation covers more than just piloting an aircraft and that the initiative aims to pique the interest of young minds in pursuing aviation-related professions.

 “We want to educate all the youth about aviation; there is more to aviation than flying an aeroplane. We want all the youth to get involved in this field of profession.”

The competition itself is expected to feature a range of creative activities, such as drawing, poster designing and videos.

Matroos also revealed the exciting prize structure for the competition, with the winner set to receive N$1 000 as the first prize, N$500 as the second prize and N$250 as the third prize.

The  NCAA’s   innovative approach to fostering a safety-conscious mindset in the youth aims to nurture a generation of knowledgeable and responsible citizens, potentially nurturing future professionals in the aviation sector. 

The initiative also provides a platform for the next generation of aviation enthusiasts to share fresh ideas and innovative concepts, contributing to the NCAA’s strategic goal of upholding aviation safety.

 “We want to grow this initiative, and we want to have it on an annual basis so that the younger generation can have a hand in information about aviation,” he concluded.  

 Students  are  encouraged to submit their applications, which should include their name, age, grade and school, before 31 August to sqp@ncaa.na with the subject, ‘Competition Submission’. 

Winners will be announced on social media and in the September NCAA bulletin.

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