Rauna Kalola
Schools countrywide have resorted to requesting parents to purchase stationery for their children due to low budgetary allocation, which makes it difficult to cover all learning and teaching needs. Many parents, however, find it difficult to secure these materials for their children because of the prevailing economic hardships.
The Swakopmund constituency identified close to 100 vulnerable and orphaned children in four primary schools in the Swakopmund circuit to benefit from stationery, worth close to N$20 000.
This is an initiative of the Erongo Regional Council. During the handover, Swakopmund constituency councillor Louisa Kativa highlighted that education is the backbone of development, and government, alone, cannot bear the burden of this responsibility.
Kativa applauded stakeholders who commit themselves to assisting the vulnerable and destitute learners. “I applaud our governor, Neville Andre, when he sourced resources to assist the educational sector last week by constructing a classroom in Kuisebmond,” she stated.
Speaking on behalf of benefitting schools, the school principal of Festus !Gonteb Primary School, Lenga Abraham, expressed gratitude towards the donation. Abraham said schools are challenged by a lack of various resources, and the donated resources will go a long way to improve the day-to-day activities of the learners in the classroom.
“It is a life-improving donation, and it will make it easy for the learners. It could not have come at a better time,” he said. The constituency office recently donated equipment to small and medium enterprises to empower them and enhance development.
The office further donated food hampers to people living with disabilities and sponsored 10 tertiary students from disadvantaged backgrounds with N$5 000 each to cater for educational needs.
The Swakopmund constituency office receives numerous requests from community members to assist with various needs; however, due to limited resources, only a few can be assisted.