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Home / Unam donates mattresses to community hostel
Unam donates mattresses to community hostel
2013-09-24Mathias Haufiku MURURANI - The University of Namibia’s Rundu Campus last Friday donated 140 mattresses to the Mururani Community Hostel, which is home to many marginalized children enrolled at the Mururani Combined School situated just a few metres away. The handover ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Marco Hausiku, Kavango East and West Governor, Ambassador Samuel Mbambo, Regional Education Director, Alfons Dikuua, Councillor of the Kahenge constituency, Joseph Sikongo, and members of the community. In a statement delivered on his behalf by Unam’s Rundu campus Director, Dr Gilbert Likando, Unam Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lazarus Hangula, assured Hausiku that the university’s commitment on matters regarding equitable access to quality education in the country would continue. “The University of Namibia has noted with appreciation the projects for the marginalized groups your office has tirelessly spearheaded in different regions in our country. I am particularly humbled by the San project at Mururani and others,” said Hangula. Hangula said it is against that backdrop that the university’s management has without hesitation approved the donation of 140 mattresses to the project. Accepting the mattresses, the deputy prime minister said he was pleased to see that the caring spirit of national leaders have gone right down to education institutions. “There are those who care about the people of this nation. What Unam did today is great and we thank them for that,” he said. He urged the learners to take care of the mattresses. “Learners at schools all around the country must take care of the facilities at their respective schools so that the schools can continue. As learners you should take your education seriously so that you can become someone in the future. Look at your leaders here today such as the governor (Ambassador Samuel Mbambo), I am sure he used to go to school bare feet during his schooldays, but look where he is today,” said Hausiku. The community hostel is home to 311 learners who attend the Mururani Combined School. Out of that number 134 are marginalized learners from the San community. Board member of the community hostel, Renhilde Kudumo, told New Era that space is limited in the hostel, a situation which forces some learners to sleep in the dining hall. “If there are willing donors out there, we are really appealing for assistance of any kind. Although we receive a N$400 000 government subsidy every school term, this is simply not enough because it has to cover expenses such as food, electricity, water and for allowances for the community members who help at the hostel” she explained. She said due to the absence of an electric stove at the hostel, the hostel also has to hire a private vehicle in order to collect firewood. By Mathias Haufiku 2013-09-24Mathias Haufiku
