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Nawa 26 |
Jul 14 2004 |
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SAN GIRLS ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THEIR EDUCATION
 "Thank you, EDDI. I will try to finish school with my scholarship and one day I will be a teacher, and you will see me in America."
This message was echoed by San girls from five different regions in Namibia who were recipients of funds provided by the USAID Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI) through the Ambassador’s Girls Scholarship Program in the past year.
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During the May school break, the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Namibia (FAWENA) held an All Girls Conference in Windhoek, bringing together forty-six girls from grades five to ten to foster an awareness of the importance of education and to motivate them to face gender inequalities prevailing within their culture. Through an EDDI grant, FAWENA was able to provide scholarships to the girls to complete secondary school, after which they will be eligible for tertiary scholarships. The primary aim of the project is to enable the qualified girls to return to their communities and help other San girls to do the same. Many of them have never traveled beyond their villages, let alone have been exposed to urban settings.
The San people, one of the few indigenous people of Southern Africa, remain closely linked to their traditional culture and way of life. They are the most educationally marginalized group in the country. Cultural practices such as early marriages and nomadic tendencies often disrupt the formal education process.
The conference began with a skit about two girls who lead different lives: one girl gets married in grade five. When her husband loses his job, she cannot find a job because she does not have a formal education. The other girl stays in school, goes to university, and travels abroad to study and work. Eventually, she returns home to start a family.
During the conference, the girls were invited to draw timelines of their futures with a clear picture of their aspirations. Testimonies were also shared by female mentors and role models.
"When the roads you are walking on seem all uphill, when life is empty and dreams are gone, never give up, for tomorrow will be another day." (Elizabeth Naoadoës) |
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OPENING THE WINDOW OF HOPE
 "Primary school youngsters should feel prepared to take on the challenges posed by HIV and AIDS and the impact of this pandemic on their lives". These are the words with which the Minister of Basic Education, Sport and Culture launched the Window of Hope, a skills-based HIV education program for 10 to 14 year olds, at the Charles Andersson Primary School in northern Namibia on June 16. The launch was part of an initiative to mobilize schools and other educational institutions across the country during Namibia`s third annual AIDS Awareness Week. Minister Mutorwa said further: "It is always very difficult to change behavior once it has settled itself. We therefore need to start early with prevention-education, with support, and with building life skills and resilience among primary school youngsters."
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The program is designed to help children in grades four to seven to develop the skills they need for life, such as identifying and managing emotions, building self-esteem, communication, decision-making, care-giving, resisting peer pressure and building healthy relationships. The program takes a two-pronged approach, using the formal curriculum as well as a new official extra-curricular activity called the Window of Hope club initiative. Window of Hope clubs will be offered at all primary schools as an afternoon activity once teachers have been trained as club facilitators. The club program consists of interactive activities which are fun for both children and teachers: games, stories, information sharing, role playing and artwork all contribute to building young teenagers` attitudes and skills with regard to HIV infection, and developing their strength to cope with HIV and AIDS in their communities.
Window of Hope was made possible through the technical assistance rendered by UNICEF Namibia to the HIV and AIDS Management Unit (HAMU), with funding from the Netherlands government through a Multi-Country Initiative for Life Skills, as well as additional funding by USAID.
The 700 learners attending the launch at Charles Andersson Primary School sang the message loud and clear: even the popular National and African Union Anthems almost drowned in what the Master of Ceremonies termed the Window of Hope anthem: "O-bla-dee, o-bla-da, we are special — we are the Windows of Hope." |
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REHOBOTH VCT BRINGS NEW HOPE TO THE COMMUNITY
 A New Start center was recently opened by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Richard Kamwi, and Bishop Zephania Kameeta of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rehoboth (a town just south of the capital). The Center offers affordable and voluntary counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS, and receives financial support from the American Government as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Technical advice and leadership is being provided by the Social Marketing Association, which is responsible for the management of the New Start voluntary counseling and testing network.
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 New Start centers are being opened countrywide and are vital in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS. Before the opening of New Start centers, testing was only available from hospitals or private institutions. The centers now provide an anonymous alternative at the cost of N$10, but at no cost for those unable to pay. People can receive counseling and answers to their questions with regard to HIV/AIDS without undergoing testing, if they are not ready to be tested.
According to Beverley Nell, Manager of New Start Rehoboth, "New Start centers provide a service to the general public and the majority of the clients who visit the centers are HIV-negative. We work with individuals to help them to remain HIV-negative and to effect changes in their lifestyles and encourage them to live healthy lives."
Deputy Minister Kamwi said at the opening that HIV/AIDS is the single biggest challenge for all Namibians. "The disease is not only dangerous for young people who are sexually active, but the consequences of this sickness will touch all Namibians as it goes against all our best plans for development in the country."He went on to say that it is certain that HIV/AIDS is not an isolated health problem; but, that all sectors are affected and the disease threatens to destroy any accomplishments that have already been made in Namibia. |
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