Promoting Education
In remote communities rural schools are often overlooked and chronically under resourced. Our priority is the development of education in the Nyae Nyae region. We aim to change one life at a time empowering local San communities.
Our key initiatives are:
- Text Books and Learning Materials for all San learners
- Supporting San students from the Nyae Nyae region in tertiary education
- School Development Program for the development of San schools
- Promoting a Sister School
Text Books and Learning Materials
Lack of curriculum text books and learning materials is a major barrier in the delivery of education.
In October 2009 and September 2010 the Ju/'hoansi Development Fund delivered a consignment of text books and learning materials to Tsumkwe Secondary School. In total we delivered over 600 curriculum text books, 3600 exercise books, 600 pens, 20 reams of photo copy paper, one microscope, one digital projector, one overhead projector, one model of the heart, one model of the eye, one distillation apparatus, over 40 education posters, 250 maths sets, 250 rullers, 250 rubbers, and 2000 sticks of chalk.
Tertiary Education
Tertiary education provides a critical link in empowering San communities. Our tertiary education program matches potential San students with donors and scholarship programs. With direct contact with students, higher education colleges and the University of Namibia, we administrate funds, provide student support and give feed back to potential donors and scholarship programs.
In February 2010 we registered our first San student at Windhoek College of Education. Calvin Kazibe a Khwe San from Tsumkwe is enrolled in a BETD (Basic Education Teachers Diploma) and intends to return to Tsumkwe Primary School as a upper primary teacher in 2013.
Thanks to the support of a donor I am now studying to be a teacher at the Windhoek College of Education.
Calvin Kazibe
In 2011 the fund will support Steven Kazibe at the University of Namibia. After qualifying as a staff nurse in 2009, Steven is currently working at Mangetti Dune Clinic before furthering his qualifications. Once qualified he will become the first San registered nurse with an ability to see and treat patients at clinics in the Nyae Nyae region.
School Support Program
It cannot be underestimated how the lack of basic education facilities negates the learning process, creating a downward spiral with few opportunities for San learners to complete formal education. Together with potential partners and donors we are committed to the development of schools in the Nyae Nyae region. In 2010-2011 the Ju/'hoansi Development Fund will initiate a pilot project in developing //Auru Lower Primary Village School into a sustainable school.
Sister Schools Program
The Ju/'hoansi Development Fund is actively promoting the partnership between a school community in the Netherlands and sister school in Tsumkwe Secondary School. The aim of the program is for students to raise funds supporting a sister school while learning about the lives of San learners in the Nyae Naye Conservancy. Students can not only make valuable contributions towards improving the quality of San education, but expand their own sense of global community and the world around them. If your school is interested in supporting a sister school please contact us and we will be happy to arrange an introductory meeting.
Education in the Nyae Nyae region
Historically Ju/'hoansi learners struggled to integrate into formal education in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy. The former Tsumkwe Combined hostel School, (Grade 1-10) provided an insensitive education environment for young Ju/'hoan learners, resulting in a high drop-out rate. In the early 1990's an experimental Village School Program introduced community based village schools (Grade 1-3) located as close to where children lived. Five village schools were built, serving a catchment area within the Nyae Nyae Conservancy. The aim of the program was to provide mother tongue as the language of instruction in attempt to overcome linguistic problems in preparing young learners with reading and writing skills and their ability to enter Grade 4 at Tsumkwe Combined School.
In 2009 the Chinese government supported the building of a new primary school in Tsumkwe, separating the two education phases. In 2010 the Namibian government has committed to re-developing the former combined school into a full secondary school. Six Nyae Nyae Lower Primary Village Schools, Tsumkwe Primary School, Tsumkwe Secondary School and Assvoelness Primary make up the Tsumkwe Cluster Schools, with a total of 589 San learners. (2007)
SCHOOL BOOK NEWS
In October 2009 and September 2010 we delivered a consignment of text books and learning materials to Tsumkwe Secondary School. The Ju/'hoansi Development Fund is very happy to work in partnership with the publishers Gamsberg Macmillan and Longman Namibia.
SUPPORTED BY
The Ju/'hoansi Development Fund would like to thank publishers Longman Namiba for supporting our 'School Text Book Program'. Longman publish a full spectrum of educational materials. Textbooks are compiled locally and internationally by recognised educationalists and teachers reflecting local and socio-cultural educational needs. www.longmanafrica.co.za
The Ju/'hoansi Development Fund would also like to thank publishers Gamsberg Macmillan Publishers in Namibia for supporting our school text book program.
Gamsberg Macmillan Publisher is part of the international educational division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. Macmillan has been publishing books in Africa for nearly 40 years. For more information: www.macmillan-africa.com
VILLAGE SCHOOL LEARNERS
The Ju/'hoansi Development Fund supports //Ami Ghau (Grade 8) and /Ukxa Bamkxao (Grade 7) the highest graded learners from the Village School Program, currently at Tsumkwe Primary and Tsumkwe Secondary School.
