Maria David
THE Omungwelume Secondary School which was in the news sometime back due to lack of learners’ accommodation will be hosting a gala dinner to raise funds for the construction of a school hostel.
This follows after the school was allocated a piece of land of 90 645 square metres by the Ohangwena Regional council in the vicinity of Omungwelume settlement.
Informanté previously reported that more than 360 learners from the school has resorted to camping in outdoors and inside cars as the school does not yet have a hostel. The hostel could not be constructed because of a lack of lack of funds to construct a hostel, despite owning a piece of land for the project.
According to the school’s principal, George Nanghanda, the fundraising gala dinner will be held on the 20th of June with the aim of raising adequate funding for the construction project.
“The lack of a hostel put many of the learners’ lives at risk and they are faced with a lot of challenges such as teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence, alcohol and drug abuse and many get involved in criminal activities which affect their academic performance,” Nanghanda said.
He urged all Namibians to come in big numbers and support the school during the fundraising dinner.
Ohangwena Regional Councillor, Usko Nghaamwa, said that he started with helping out the school a long time ago because he was moved and touched by seeing the children suffering and was unable to ignore the situation.
Nghaamwa, in his personal capacity, also donated 30 bags of omahangu to the school to enable it to set up a feeding program last year.
“The aim of our initiative is to be able to build shelter for our children and ensure that they stay in safe place at the same time attempt to meet government half way,” said Nghaamwa.
He explained that with the money they want to raise they plan to build hostel which can accommodate at least 200 girls and boys.
Nghaamwa also called for support of the project and said every Namibian has the ability to become an agent of change in society.
