Niël Terblanché
Construction of a special school for differently abled children in Kamanjab will soon begin, following a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday.
Speaking at the event on behalf of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare described the Kunene Region Resource School project as a milestone in Namibia’s education infrastructure.
He said the government has made access to inclusive, quality education a priority, with a commitment to ensure that no child is left behind, regardless of ability, location, or circumstance.
The school will cater specifically to learners with hearing, visual, and intellectual impairments. It will include adapted classrooms, hostel blocks, ablution facilities, a kitchen, and a dining area.
“This is not an ordinary school. It is a purpose-built space designed with care, adapted to the curriculum, and aligned with Namibia’s Sector Policy on Inclusive Education,” he said.
Sanet Steenkamp, Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, said education must go where children are. She called the project one that restores equity, one classroom, one child, one future at a time.
She paid tribute to former Kunene Region Governor Marius Sheya, who first advocated for a dedicated resource school.
“Their efforts were not loud. They were persistent,” she said.
Steenkamp said Kamanjab was deliberately chosen because of its central location and good road access, making it an ideal hub to serve the wider Kunene Region.
She confirmed that the first phase of construction, valued at about N$34.8 million, would be completed during the 2025/2026 financial year.
Steenkamp said the school is not just about access. “It is about belonging. We act with purpose so that every child, regardless of the challenges they may face, finds their place in the Namibian house,” she said.
The resource school is part of a broader drive to expand education infrastructure, launched after the 2022 National Conference on Education, with the goal to improve inclusive access across all fourteen regions by 2030.
She said once completed, the school will stand as a symbol of Namibia’s resolve to make inclusivity and equality a reality.
Steenkamp urged educators to lead with compassion and called on all stakeholders to work with one vision and one purpose to complete the school.
