Stefanus Nambara
MBURU-URU - Teachers at Mburu-uru Primary School in the Katji-na-katji circuit of the Kavango West region demonstrated that they are substitute parents to their learners, as out of the spirit of Ubuntu, they are accommodating learners in their sleeping rooms due to a lack of accommodation facilities.
In January last year, the school was going to register grade five learners from Sava Primary School, as there was not going to be a grade five class at that school and parents could not afford to send their children far away, thus they were going to sit at home that academic year.
Due to a lack of accommodation facilities at Mburu-uru PS, a distance of about 12 kilometres to the school stood in their way.
This prompted the management of the two schools, together with the school board members and parents of the concerned learners, to convene a meeting to discuss the establishment of a community hostel.
The idea saw the light of day, where other learners who also came from different remote villages were accommodated in the hostel that was made out of traditional huts.
During the year, the learners could not continue to be accommodated in the makeshift structures, as they were in a deplorable state.
The teachers then looked at other alternatives to ensure that some learners continue to be accommodated, something which they have been doing since last year out of passion, for the Namibian child not to miss out on education.
“Again this year, we saw that the identified learners who are from far and whose parents are in agreement, we continue to stay with them in our rooms. When the school re-opened, they came so we now have 12 learners with us.
There are six girls, three are sleeping in my room, and the other three are sleeping in the other female teacher’s room. The boys are also six and are accommodated in the storeroom,” indicated Mburu-uru Primary School principal, Emersiana Siteketa.
The school says that there are still 25 learners who are still in dire need of accommodation.
Because many parents could not afford to send their children to far-away schools with accommodation facilities, and that commuting of learners from distant villages poses a threat to their safety and health and negatively impacts their concentration during lessons, the community hostel is now in the process of being revived.
A meeting between parents and the school was held last November, where it was agreed that each household contributes N$100 for building materials to construct decent structures.
Some parents have already started to honour the agreement, whereas some have contributed construction poles, and the construction of two traditional huts has begun.
Meanwhile, the school and the parents are appealing to good Samaritans to come to the assistance of the learners as they are in need of building materials, beds, mattresses, food and school uniforms.
“We are appealing to sympathisers that are going to see this. These are the challenges we are facing here at Mburu-uru Primary School.
If they will be willing to assist the learners, the future leaders, then we will look forward to it,” urged Sakeus Kudumo, the school’s community hostel caretaker.
The parents appreciate the effort that the teachers are putting in for the sake of the learners.
“It’s a happy feeling, someone w grew up elsewhere to come and take such decisions, not every person is capable of doing that. I am really happy,” said Alipia Kapause, the school board chairperson.
Another parent, Theresia Kantana added that because some children who are sent to far schools drop out, they can at least be accommodated in the community hostel for them to continue with their education.