MTC awards N$1.5 million in bursaries to 12 students
Digital enabler, MTC on Wednesday took a significant step towards supporting education by awarding N$1.5 million in bursaries to twelve deserving students.
Among the recipients are six external students and eight internal MTC Ambassadors furthering their education.
The six external recipients include Anna Mary Ashipala pursuing a third-year bachelor’s degree in law at UNAM, Erkki Shilumbu and Willryna Basson studying a third-year bachelor’s degree in finance at NUST, Valerio Brito Manuel pursuing a third-year bachelor’s degree in computer science at NUST, and two carrying over students, Kadischa Wasserfall studying a third-year Bachelor Degree in Business Information Systems at IUM, and Verner Haimbili pursuing a fourth-year BSc in Computer Science at UNAM.
Elton Katangolo, Acting Chief Commercial Officer at MTC, highlighted the importance of corporate support in the education sector, emphasizing that education should not solely rely on government initiatives.
“Any national course must not be left to the state alone. We have NASFAF assisting students, however, that effort alone is not sufficient in addressing the issue of student funding. MTC, through our bursary scheme, is therefore proud to be assisting students from less privilege backgrounds to pursue and complete their studies and ultimately achieve their dreams. Education is key, and for us to be citizens that meaningfully contribute to the country’s development, we must continue to invest in learning and acquiring knowledge and skills and competency that will propel Namibia to greater heights,” he said
Katangolo added that “it is sad to witness many bright students sit at home or some dropping out of universities because they cannot afford the cost of pursuing their studies. As a country, we must not permit this to persist. We must address it collaboratively and see to it that every deserving Namibian has a fair shot at education.”
In addition to financial support, MTC is committed to providing bursary recipients with experiential learning opportunities, work guidance, and employment prospects. Upon completion of their studies, successful students may join MTC’s graduate trainee program, potentially leading to full integration into the MTC workforce based on performance.
MTC’s initiatives in the education sector extend beyond the bursary scheme, including the Namibia National Internship Programme, offering Work Integrated Learning opportunities, and the MTC Rural Schools Project, aimed at addressing challenges faced by rural schools through infrastructure development.
