MILE 10 - A fourth-year student at the University of Namibia this week donated 173 textbooks to be used in different grades at Gcagcu Combined School at Mile 10 village along the Rundu-Grootfontein road in Kavango West. The school has a severe shortage of textbooks.

Nathan Saddam Makuki said felt the need to assist in educating the children of his village, and the best way is to give them books to mine knowledge – the best tool for development. “I decided to give back to the school because I am doing my last school-based studies here, where I noticed the school needed textbooks. Although I live in Rundu, I am also from this village, and it is only fair that I give back to the community of my origin to enhance their education,” said Makuki, who is enrolled at the Unam Rundu campus, where he is pursuing his final academic year in upper primary education. “I bought these books at an auction of a book shop that was closing down in the north towards the end of last year. I am donating on behalf of my company Varo Trading cc that I run on the side,” he added. Varo Trading cc is a Rundu-based company, involved in renovations, and supply and installation of IT equipment. 

“This is great news; a child from this village went to get an education and came back to assist the school. That, in itself, will lift the spirit of our learners to see someone who is from here that they can relate to,” said the Gcagcu school board chairperson Jacob Kambinda.  

“He is inspiring these kids to learn to also become teachers and also to have hope that through education, they can become someone outside the village. As a school, we are grateful to our intern who identified the need and reacted in a form of giving textbooks. This will go a long way in educating our learners. You know where our government stands at the moment; a lot of schools are struggling with teaching resources and he has saved us by adding to what we have,” said the acting principal Johannes Himarwa. 
 – jmuyamba@nepc.com.na