UNAM Students Rally for Ombyarundu Primary School in Opuwo, Urgent Support Needed

Agroupofdedicatedfinal-yearstudentsfromtheUniversityofNamibia(UNAM) has joined forces to make a difference in the lives of the children attending OmbyarunduPrimarySchoolinOpuwo.Operatingunderthename"Blackstone," afictionallegalpractice,thesestudentsarepartofUNAM'slegalclinic,wherethey are honing their professional skills by actively engaging with underprivileged communities, identifying significant challenges, and offering practical solutions. TheircurrentcommunityimpactprojectfocusesonOmbyarunduPrimarySchool, whichservesasacrucialplatformforprovidingopportunitiesandimprovedliving conditions to the marginalised Himba and Damara communities residing in the OmbyarunduvillageoftheRuacanaConstituency.

The students are appealing to the public for donationsandsupporttoensurethesuccessoftheir project. They are seeking various contributions, includingmonetarydonations,second-handclothes (for children aged 7-13), maize meal, toiletries, shoes, school uniforms, mattresses, and any other essential items that would benefit the school's students.Thestudentsthemselveshavetakenupthe responsibility of personally delivering these donations to Ombyarundu Primary School in Opuwo,emphasisingtheircommitmenttomakinga directandmeaningfulimpact.

Walvis Bay resident, Chantell van Zyl, the spokesperson for the fictional law firm, Blackstone, explained the significance of their choice to support Ombyarundu Primary School. Situated just eight kilometers away from the NAMPOWERhydroelectricplantintheRuacana Constituency, the school caters to marginalised learners who face numerous challenges in accessing quality education. By raising public awareness through this newspaper article, the studentshopetoshedlightonthecurrentsituation oftheschoolandgarnermuch-neededsupport. Ombyarundu Primary School initially began as a kindergarten established by Mr Festus Mbwale and his wife, Mrs. Sarah Mbwale, in 2015. With the assistance of donors from the Netherlands Connected to Namibia (CTN) group, the kindergarten flourished for five years Subsequently,onJanuary1,2021,theschoolwas officially registered with the Ministry of Education, marking an important milestone in its journey

One of the critical aspects addressed by this community initiative is absenteeism and late arrivals, which are primarily caused by the learners' remote residential locations. To tackle this issue and enhance the students' performance, thecommunity,alongwithdonorsfromCTNand the founders, decided to establish a small school hostel for the young learners aged 5 to 14. This hostel has become a vital support system for the school,providingasafeplaceforchildrentostay andensuringtheyreceiveregularmeals.

Unfortunately,duetothechallengesposedbythe COVID-19pandemic,thehostelhasexperienceda setback in terms of support from donors. The founders,Mr andMrs.Mbwale,havetakenonthe responsibilityofprovidingessentialsuppliessuch asmaizemeal,soups,cookingoil,andsugarfrom their own pockets. However, this limited support has led to a scarcity of food and clothing for the students, affecting their well-being and educationaljourney

The current situation calls for urgent assistance from the public. The hostel requires a substantial amount of food to cater to the 45 to 60 students residingthere.Thisincludes7bagsofmaizemeal (at N$600 each), 2 bags of sugar weighing 10 kilograms each (at N$160 each), 2 bottles of cooking oil measuring 5 liters each (at N$450 each), and 7 bags of soup weighing 5 kilograms each.

For donations, the law firm can be contacted on +264 81 323 0267 / +264 81 789 3919 / blackstonelegalfirm24@gmail.com