Patience Makwele
Oshana regional Governor Hofni Iipinge has handed over school furniture worth N$50 000 to two schools in Okaku Constituency, providing immediate relief to learners affected by shortages of desks and chairs.
Okadhimeti Kindergarten and Oshikondiilongo Combined School received the furniture on Monday after approaching Iipinge’s office for assistance with inadequate classroom furniture.
Okadhimeti Kindergarten received 10 desks and chairs, while Oshikondiilongo Combined School received 30 desks and chairs.
The handover forms part of Iipinge’s school-furniture initiative, which he said is intended to ensure that learners are not forced to sit on floors, stones or share inadequate desks during lessons.
“I don’t want to see any child sitting on the floor, or sitting on the stones, or maybe sharing desks,” Iipinge said.
He said providing learners with appropriate desks and chairs was particularly important as schools approach examinations, allowing learners to write comfortably and concentrate on their work.
The governor also stressed the importance of investing in younger learners, saying adequate furniture at kindergarten and primary level helps create a stronger foundation for education.
“These small furnitures are for small kids. We really have to build a very strong foundation so our small children can make sure that education is very attractive to them,” he said.
The latest handover comes as schools in Oshana continue to require basic classroom infrastructure.
Furniture shortages have been a recurring challenge in the region, with the Oshana education directorate reporting in 2020 that more than 3 000 chairs and 2 700 desks were required across schools in the region.
Those figures are historical and do not represent the current shortage, but point to the longstanding nature of the furniture challenge.
The regional authorities have also continued to procure classroom furniture, indicating that the provision of desks and chairs remains an ongoing requirement rather than a once-off intervention.
For the two beneficiary schools, however, the latest donation provides immediate assistance following their requests for support.
Iipinge said the furniture initiative would continue beyond the latest handover, with his office prepared to assist other schools experiencing similar challenges.
“When we have an educated nation, it means that education is an enabler to success. Therefore, we are continuing to empower our young people,” he said.
He encouraged schools and communities still facing shortages to approach his office, saying assistance would be considered where possible.
“Those who are still in need, our office is open and you are free to come and give us your problems. We are ready to assist,” Iipinge said.
The governor said the initiative would also extend to larger learners and other schools as the programme progresses, reaffirming education as one of the priorities of his administration.
The intervention gives the two schools additional classroom furniture, while the wider demand for desks and chairs continues to require sustained attention from education authorities and other stakeholders.
