The Uukwandongo Trust Fund donated school uniforms and stationery worth nearly N$97,000 to the Otoongo and Onambadje Primary Schools in the Omusati Region.

The Uukwandongo Trust Fund is the brainchild of the Ongandjera Traditional Authority, aimed at assisting the needy.

At the handover event, the Omukwaniilwa of Ongandjera, Johannes Mupiya, said education is a shared responsibility for all Namibians, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds.

“I have noticed with concern that, particularly in schools in remote areas like this one, they are all in need of basic educational necessities. It could be school uniforms or stationery, but this is a result of their parents being unemployed or so, while some of the learners depend on their grandparents’ social grant, which is inadequate. Therefore, we decided to assist these remote schools with stationery or school uniforms based on their needs.”

Okahao circuit inspector Eliakim Kamati expressed his gratitude towards this gesture and said the donation came at the right time.

Kamati said that not all parents can afford to sustain their children, and he encouraged parents to send their children to school in order to secure a better future.

“I can vividly remember visiting this school during the winter, and most of the learners were shivering due to the weather since they had no protective clothing on. These are some of the needs the trust fund is addressing to help these future leaders.”

The Otoongo and Onambandja primary schools cater to grades 0–3, and both have only two teaching classrooms, one of which is a multi-grade class for both schools.

Otoongo has only 14 learners, while Onambadja has 21. 

The principals of the two schools spoke of the challenges they experience, while the learners expressed their gratitude.