Staff Writer
A heartbroken teacher took to social media to appeal to well-wishers to help with uniforms, soap and Vaseline for her learners.
Maria Namtenya Endjala-Shambwila is a teacher at Oukwandongo Combined School in Outapi, Omusati region.
The school is 25km from Outapi and about two kilometres from the Namibia-Angola border.
Endjala-Shambwila teaches Grades 4 to 9 at the school with 1 036 learners and 32 teachers.
The school’s catchment area is Oukwandongo, Oiwiwili, and Osisia villages.
The learners who attend the school from Angola belong to families that moved from Namibia searching for grazing lands.
The teacher told The Villager on Sunday that sometimes she shed tears when she sees her learners turning up in tattered clothes and without shoes.
“It breaks my heart to see them like that. Sometimes I find myself tearful. It is heartbreaking. I feel pity, ” Endjala-Shambwila said.
She also said at one time; the teachers decided to contribute money to buy uniforms, soap, lotion and sanitary pads for the learners.
With the challenging economic times, this has become difficult.
Endjala-Shambwila said the learners have no books, shoes, uniforms, sanitary pads and soap.
According to Endjala-Shambwila, the parents told the teachers that they did not know how they could buy the uniforms.
“We advised the parents to sell chickens and other stuff to manage,” she said, adding that some parents are still selling to cater for their children.
A complete uniform, Endjala-Shambwila said, cost about N$400.
Those willing to help can Contact Mr Aitana at 0812807576 or Endjala-Shambwila at 0813069172.
