Mobile Telecommunications Ltd (MTC) has committed N$1.5 million towards study funding for 12 students at various institutions of higher learning in Namibia, with the purpose of lessening the financial burden on them.
Six of the 12 students are internal MTC employees who are furthering their studies.
The bursary support is in addition to an initiative being undertaken by MTC and partners in driving the Namibia National Internship Programme, which offers Work Integrated Learning opportunities to students.
To date, MTC has spent N$7.4 million on the internship programme.
Another effort is the MTC Rural Schools Project, through which assistance is conveyed by building classrooms for schools, mainly in rural areas.
Regarding the rural schools project, the telco has funded a total of 37 classrooms and seven storerooms at a cost of N$8.6 million to date.
“These are all deliberate interventions aimed at addressing fundamental challenges experienced at different stages of the education system,” said MTC’s Acting Chief Commercial Officer, Elton Katangolo.
He further emphasized the need for corporates to continue complementing government efforts in the education sector.
“Any national cause 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 privileged 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, skills, and competency that will propel Namibia to greater heights,” he stressed.
Katangolo further noted that it is sad to witness many brilliant students sit at home or, unfortunately, 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 ensure that every deserving Namibian has a fair shot at education.”
The six external recipients are Anna Mary Ashipala, a 3rd-year bachelor’s degree student in law at UNAM, Erkki Shilumbu and Willryna Basson, both in their third year of studying for a bachelor’s degree in finance at NUST.
Also, a NUST student is Valerio Brito Manuel, a 3rd-year bachelor’s degree student in computer science, in addition to Kadischa Wasserfall, a 3rd-year IUM student pursuing a Degree in Business Information Systems, and Verner Haimbili in his final year at UNAM undertaking a BSc in Computer Science.
At the handover, Katongolo reiterated MTC’s commitment to its ethos and norm of providing bursary recipients with experiential learning opportunities, work guidance, and employment opportunities.
He said that upon completion of their studies, the telco absorbs these students into a graduate trainee programme, with the possibility of integrating them fully into the MTC workforce.
“This, however, depends on their performance,” he said
