Niël Terblanché
MTC and the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund have made a lasting impact on rural education by donating three new classrooms to the Zadang Primary School in the Kavango East region.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Faustina Caley, Kavango East Education Director Christine Shilima along with representatives from MTC and the MVA Fund inaugurated the new infrastructure on Wednesday.
This initiative is part of MTC’s Rural Schools Project, aiming to create sustainable education in remote areas.
Until now, the school’s 31 students faced challenging conditions, learning in a makeshift open-sided structure.
Deputy Minister Caley stressed the importance of these educational developments.
“Education is a fundamental requirement for shaping Namibia’s future,” she said.
She commended MTC and the MVA Fund’s commitment to addressing educational inequalities, calling their partnership a beacon for other organisations to follow.
According to Shilima, the new classrooms are more than just bricks and mortar.
“They are spaces where dreams will be nurtured, where knowledge will be shared, and where young minds will be shaped,” she said.
She reiterated the importance of creating educational opportunities in rural areas to cultivate Namibia’s future leaders.
This latest addition to the Zadang Primary School includes 90 tables and chairs for learners, along with teacher provisions and essential learning materials, such as school bags and toiletry kits.
For many learners, these resources are a lifeline, enabling them to fully immerse in their studies.
Tim Ekandjo, MTC’s Chief Human Capital, Corporate Affairs, and Marketing Officer, advocated for increased community involvement in education.
“Today, we see how a simple act of collaboration can change the future of our youth,” he said.
He urged parents to spread awareness about the school’s new infrastructure and encouraged families from surrounding areas to enrol their children in the school to create a brighter educational future that could even lead to the establishment of a school hostel, facilitating access to education for more rural learners.
This initiative is not the first of its kind.
Ekandjo said that since its launch in 2019, the MTC Rural Schools Project has constructed 52 classrooms across several Namibian regions, including Kunene, Karas, Hardap, Oshana, and Ohangwena, with more projects scheduled for Erongo, Khomas, Omaheke, and Omusati.
“Through these efforts, MTC aims to make quality education accessible to all Namibians, regardless of geographical limitations,” he said.
The MVA Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, also stressed the vital role of sustainable development in rural areas.
“Sustainable cities will remain elusive if we do not complete the work of creating sustainable rural communities,” she warned.
Martins-Hausiku added that the MVA Fund is committed to ensuring that rural children receive quality education, which is essential to Namibia’s overall development goals.
She added that the MVA fund got involved in the project because of the difficult conditions experienced by the young Zadang students.
The MVA Fund subsequently collaborated with MTC, recognising the need for improved educational facilities to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4, focused on quality education.
She said the school’s new classrooms serve as a demonstration of the power of collaboration between the public and private sectors.
According to Martins-Haufiku, the collaborative project will provide the learners with a safer, more conducive environment, enabling effective learning for Grades 1 to 3 through the school’s unique multi-grade system.
