Alwyn van Zyl
Mobile vaccination drives kicked off in high gear today, with a well-attended event at Windhoek’s Government Office Park offering both AstraZeneca and Sinopharm Covid vaccines.
Teachers, government staff and the general public queued from the early morning hours and spotlighted that many Namibians are eager to be jabbed.
Ayesha Wentworth, director of programmes and quality assurance at the Ministry of Education, Arts & Culture, said the drive is a joint effort between the ministry, Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu), and the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) and their development partners.
“We are joining the call from our government to protect our teachers and learners. We want our schools to open safely, we want our teachers to be safe when they are in school. Education is a right and we need to make sure that it happens. We are doing our part to encourage the public to engage in this process and get vaccinated,” Wentworth said.
“This is part of a bigger campaign we are rolling out throughout the rest of the country, so this is just the starting point for us. We are mobilising our teachers and others to get vaccinated. We have so much planned to educate the public and to get the message out there,” Wentworth added.
Mental health
The pandemic has not only overwhelmed public health but also impacted the mental wellbeing of Namibians. Wentworth underscored the importance of looking out for one another and to assist where possible.
“Our teachers are under a lot of pressure because of examinations and many other factors. We need to be there for each other, notice signs and symptoms and take care of our mental health and physical wellbeing. We really need to work together and support each other,” Wentworth stressed.
She explained that as a parent of a grade 1 learner, she can attest to the work done by teachers during the pandemic, under sometimes difficult circumstances.
“Parents have to be patient and be there. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and keep in contact with your child’s teacher. They can guide you when your child becomes stuck. The connection between school and home is even more important now than it ever was before. So we call upon parents to be part of the school community, be engaged with your school, help where you can and do what you can” she concluded.
