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Nawa 37 |
Aug 5 2005 |
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TEXTBOOKS MADE AVAILABLE TO NAMIBIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
 During her recent trip to Namibia, Dr. Sarah Moten, Chief of the Education Division at the USAID Africa Bureau and Director of the Africa Education Initiative (AEI), participated in a ceremony marking the handover of 10,000 Grade 7 textbooks. The books were funded by the United States Government under the AEI’s `Textbooks for a Global Society` initiative to help alleviate the critical shortage of textbooks in Namibian schools. The ceremony was held at the National Institute of Educational Development (NIED) in Okahandja (a town just north of the capital).
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In her remarks, Dr. Moten said that the collaboration between the Ministry of Education and USAID under the Africa Education Initiative is testimony to the long standing and productive partnership between the U.S. and Namibia.
Under phase-1 of the textbook initiative, USAID worked with NIED and other Namibian institutions to address the critical shortage of textbooks that is hampering the academic performance of many Namibian children, especially those in the rural areas, where at some schools up to five children have to use one textbook. U.S. and Namibian writers have also developed a textbook for Grade 5 Natural Science and Health which is being field tested. Representatives of various regions that benefit from the textbooks were present at the ceremony and were given their textbook allotments to take with them.
In addition to the textbook initiative, USAID is supporting two other initiatives under AEI in Namibia: a girls` scholarship program which the Honorable Minister of Education Mbumba and Her Excellency Ambassador Joyce Barr launched on July 7, 2005 that is providing 950 scholarships to marginalized and vulnerable girls; and a teacher training program that is providing training to 8,000 Namibian teachers over the next three years to improve their teaching of math, science and English.
Dr. Moten concluded: "The support and inputs we provided to the education sector are among the things that will bring us closer to one of the key goals of Namibia’s Vision 2030, namely to transform Namibia into a high-income and a more equitable knowledge economy. I urge Namibian educators and learners to fully utilize these programs to equip themselves with the skills and knowledge that will make them productive and achieving citizens." |
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VOLUNTEERS ENSURE GRANDMOTHER AND CAREGIVER GETS A NEW HOME
 Agnes Sikwela doesn`t know exactly when she was born, but she estimates that she is about 85 years old. She says that she never imagined that in her old age she would still be taking care of young children...but that is her situation. Instead of others taking care of her, she is responsible for eight grandchildren and great-grandchildren whose own parents — her own offspring — have died.
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Poverty and hunger are common companions for Agnes and the orphans under her care. Until recently, they didn`t have decent shelter, either. Agnes` mud-and-straw hut was falling apart, forcing everyone to sleep outside. In the summer they were hot and became easy prey to insects, vermin, and petty theft. In the winter, they felt cold and subject to illness. Without shelter Agnes felt that her family was drifting apart. And if that happened, she worried, "what would happen to the children?"
Two months ago the newly trained volunteers of Catholic AIDS Action in the Kabbe village, Caprivi Region, learned of the old woman`s plight. These volunteers receive their training and support from the U. S. President`s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through USAID. Although their training had focused on home-based care, counseling, and prevention-education, the volunteers decided that the most important thing they could do for Agnes was to build her a new house. So they organized themselves, pooling their own resources, to build new walls, a new roof, and a door.
Life is still very difficult for this family, but with a new home, they have a chance for a better future. |
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CONSERVANCY FIELD GUIDE TRAINING PAYS DIVIDENDS
 Rosy is part of a new generation of guides in Namibia: a black woman in a profession previously dominated by white men. She sees field guiding as an opportunity to teach her people about sustainable conservation, and to act as an ambassador for her country. Rosy grew up in the rural Damaraland area near the well-known Damaraland Camp, owned by Wilderness Safaris Namibia (WSN), where her first opportunity at real employment (at the age of 34!) was as a housekeeper. She was in possession of a driver`s license, however, which gave her a foot in the door to field guiding. Doing airstrip pick-ups for the camp, she developed an interest in nature, and her enthusiasm attracted the interest of the WSN management. She was chosen to be fast-tracked into guiding.
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 Rosy attended a month long EcoTraining field guiding course in South Africa in 2003 (sponsored by a guest to the camp, and WSN) and then began to attend the courses run by WSN and jointly sponsored by USAID. She passed the Entry Level course in 2003, attended a number of sessions towards completion of the Intermediate Level, and in February 2005, successfully completed the Applied (Advanced) Level course which focuses on walking, weapons and tracking in areas of large game. Rosy has recently transferred to Wilderness Safaris’ newest lodge, Doro !Nawas, as senior guide, a respected position. This is a just reward for her dedication to training and to the profession. She regards the training opportunities provided by WSN/USAID as a dream come true. "Without their support, the profession would certainly be poorer,"she says. |
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