Students exposed to existential issues

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Windhoek, for the first time, introduced a unique three-week student internship programme for 17 learners from local secondary schools, age 16 or older, who have demonstrated a strong interest in the work of the UN.
The dynamic, team-focused model of the high school practicum programme also addressed volunteering and the commensurate benefits to reach out to the community, learn new skills, and even advance students’ career choices.
The informal educational opportunity involved learning life skills that students will carry with them after high school to navigate relationships and careers and become a well-rounded, successful person. Under the leadership of the centre’s National Information Officer, Ms. Anthea Basson, the programme reinforced students to think logically, retaining information and not merely temporarily memorizing information. Then it teaches the learners how to apply such abilities to real-world scenarios. To complete the cycle of learning students practically had to associate with the assigned activities to be performed in the workplace such as research, collecting information from diverse sources, writing reports, creativity (reciting /composing poems, come up with skits or artwork) to express or complement their work or presentation on the UN International Observances and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In fulfilling their role as volunteers the students decided to “spread hope” to Namibia’s cancer patients through hand-made cards. The cards show that someone is thinking of them and it is a simple yet beautiful way to impact the life of a child who is suffering.