As the new academic year commenced, some individuals and organisations have stepped up to ease the financial burden on parents by assisting learners to cover their schoolbooks.

The free book-covering campaign, spearheaded by Shincheonji Volunteers, arose in November last year to address the plight of parents’ financial struggle associated with school supplies and preparing children for a new school year.

Florence Timotheus, the campaign supervisor, said the initiative aims to provide much-needed support to families struggling to cover the costs of essential school supplies. 

“The motivation is to assist families, particularly those facing financial challenges, during this familiar, busy back-to-school period by offering this service for free,” she stated.

“We aim to reduce the financial strain on parents and guardians while ensuring that learners have neat and protected books to start their studies. By offering this service, where people bring their books for covers, we aim to alleviate their burden, while fostering a sense of community support. This initiative reflects our hearts toward assisting underprivileged communities, encouraging preparedness for the school year.” 

“This is to inspire similar acts of kindness and support, reflecting the hearts of Shincheonji Volunteers and encouraging the community to adopt the same mindset of care and generosity. For parents who are unable to reach the designated locations for book covering, we understand that not everyone may be able to reach the designated locations. While we were only able to set up three locations across Windhoek this year, we hope to expand to more areas in the future with the support of local communities and organisations. Our goal is to better cater to everyone’s needs in subsequent years,” she said.

In addition to this initiative, the volunteers are committed to supporting learners by organising workshops to empower them with skills and knowledge. The team also plans to partner with schools to create better learning environments and opportunities for academic growth.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers and organisations such as Tok Tokkie Shuttle Company, which has assisted with transporting volunteers. Together, we are creating a positive impact and helping learners begin their academic journey with confidence and enthusiasm. Lastly, we encourage everyone to support the upcoming blood drive campaign next month with NamBTS. As highlighted on the Namibian social media page, this is a critical time where we can unite as a community to make a meaningful difference. 

We are proud to support and aid NamBTS’ efforts to restore our blood bank, and invite others to join us in these acts of kindness and generosity.” -pmukokobi@nepc.com.na