Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) is set to achieve the milestone of having built 41 classrooms through its Rural Schools Project later this month.
MTC, which handed over a block of four classrooms and a storeroom worth N$1.2 million at Groendraai Primary School on Wednesday, will also hand over classrooms at schools in Zambezi (Kahunikwa Primary School) and the Ohangwena region (Onduludiya Combined School) later this month.
The completion of the classroom block and handover at Groendraai Primary School, which was built in 1952 and now hosts 251 learners, takes place three months after the company announced in February that it would construct classrooms at Kahunikwa Primary School, Onduludiya Combined School, and Groendraai Primary School.
Since its launch, the project has thus far built classrooms in Otjozondjupa, Kavango West, !Karas, Oshana, with the Kunene Region and Hardap being the latest regions to benefit through the Groendraai Primary School.
The MTC Rural Schools Project is an MTC Corporate Social Investment project launched in 2019 as part of the Friends of Education Initiative with the Ministry of Basic Education, Arts, and Culture.
The objective of the project is to assist the government in improving educational infrastructure, such as dilapidated schools lacking decent structures or having none, by renovating and, in most cases, erecting new classroom blocks mainly for schools in rural Namibia – hence the name.
“We do not want to embark on this project alone. We are inviting all corporates to join us in handing over classrooms around the country. We need, by all means, to nationalize this project, and we can only successfully do it with more funds and more partners,” said Tim Ekandjo, Chief Human Capital, Corporate Affairs, and Marketing Officer.
Since the inception of this project, the Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture has highlighted that the Ministry needs a cumulative N$1.8 billion to clear the backlog in classes. This translates to a Herculean task of constructing 5,169 classrooms across the country to accommodate both primary and secondary pupils in remote areas.
“No longer should we accept that a Namibian child should be taught under trees and in unconducive environments. It is our responsibility, in whatever capacity, to protect the future leaders, and we can only do it if we join hands together,” added Ekandjo.
The classrooms have been constructed by a local company. Deputy Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture Faustina Caley lauded MTC for making the clarion call to dignify education and involving people from the region.
“The education sector is faced with a multitude of challenges that the ministry cannot address alone. It is the responsibility of the entire country to play its role. At this school, and around the country, we have learners being taught in unpardonable environments not conducive to learning. At this school, learners endure the heat, winds, and cold of the south. They are the leaders of this country, and we can only expect better from them if we have partners like MTC come to the table to make education better for them,” said Caley.
Caley also called for the active participation of parents in the lives of their children, stating that teachers can do a better job when parents do their part in streamlining the future of learners.
“This gift will go a long way in improving the lives of the learners and providing a conducive teaching environment for the teachers. We cannot thank you (MTC) enough for the gesture, and we can only say to continue doing this good work for other learners across the country,” she said.
