25 schools across the 14 regions to benefit from Nampower’s donation of beds and mattresses
The NamPower Foundation as the corporate social investment leg of NamPower on Thursday donated 520 double decker beds valued at N$1,076,400 and 655 mattresses valued at N$ 375,877.50 to the Ministry of Education, Arts & Culture.
Receiving the donation at the event, Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Ester Anna Nghipondoka
said the items will be distributed to 25 schools across the 14 regions.
“For 2021 we have 58,862 learners accommodated in the hostels country wide. This is a sizeable contribution that will surely make a difference in the lives of the Namibian children,” she added.
According to Nghipondoka the mandate of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture is to provide accessible, equitable, quality and inclusive education to the children. However, not all children live within a walking distance to their schools.
“In addition, some children come from vulnerable households which are not able to provide the necessary care and conducive environment to learn. Hostels have been established to help increase access to education by bridging the gaps that exist in our communities,” she added.
Nghipondoka said this donation came at an opportune time, when the education sector is navigating education provision in a time of a global pandemic of COVID-19.
“Now more than ever, social distancing is crucial. This donation, particularly the double decker beds, will allow our learners to social distance while in their dormitories. With the limited resources available, it is not possible to have single rooms for our hostel boarders. Each day we are faced with the difficult task of two competing priorities: keeping our learners’ safe vs keeping them in schools,”she said.
Meawhile at the same event, NamPower also donated 6000 face masks to schools with marginalized and vulnerable children in some regions within our country to protect them against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our Policy document called “Towards Education for All” made it vividly clear that education is a mutual responsibility that must not be left on the shoulders of the government only, but it needs the contributions from both sides to merge together and complement the government’s efforts,” she concluded.
