Vergenoeg Primary wins San Friendly

“If the educational outcomes for the San children are improved, it can lead significantly to the reduction of poverty and raise the quality of life within the San communities, thus supporting the Harambee Prosperity Plan,” said Dr Philippe Talavera, Director and Founder of the Ombetja Yehinga Organization (OYO) earlier this week when the results of the San Friendly competition were announced.
The competition was launched at the beginning of this year and took place in the Omaheke and Ohangwena Regions for children aged 6 to 14 years through the San Matter Project and sponsored by the Finnish Embassy.
In a statement Dr Talevera explained that the competition aimed to highlight the importance of education to San parents and children and encourage San children to continue attending school. He also emphasized that the competition encouraged schools to promote tolerance for all cultures including the San cultures.
Describing the competition framework, Dr Talavera said it pivoted on three components, For the first, a board competition, schools were given two boards to paint strong messages on about friendship and respect for the San culture. Secondly a dance competition took place, where San children taught non-San children a traditional dance to learn more about the San culture. The component was an evaluation of the school environment by San children themselves, particularly assessing whether bullying and discrimination happened at their schools.”
Dr Talavera announced that at the end of the competition, three schools rose above all the other schools in the Omaheke and Ohangwena regions, with Vergenoeg Primary School in first place, Helena Primary School in second place and Dr Fisher Primary School in third place in the Omaheke Region. “In the Ohangwena Region Wangushu Combined School took first place, the runner-up was Malangu Primary School with Omukukutu Combined School in third place,” he stated.
The winning schools will each get a computer and trophy and will be encouraged to share their experience with other school” added Dr Talavera. “Cultural diversity is a reality in our schools and learning to respect all cultures, including minority groups, is of particular importance and we are very proud of the work done by Vergenoeg Primary School and Wangushu Combined School and hope they will continue with a culture of tolerance,” concluded Dr Talavera.