Marginalised get financial aid
The office of the vice-president through its division for marginalised community affairs has provided financial support to 648 students and learners from the San, Ovatue and Ovatjimba communities.
The support, which includes N$1 000 for students at tertiary institutions and N$500 for both primary and secondary school learners, is only meant to cover basic needs and excludes tuition fees, stationery and books.
Deputy director for the marginalised communities Gerson Kamatuka said government has put in place a student support programme to assist the marginalised communities.
“The division has been busy from the beginning of January to the end of February providing support to students and learners with enrolment recommendations to various recognised institutions of learning locally for accredited programmes, formulating and approval of the master list of beneficiaries for the 2018 academic year and updating of our database,” Kamatuka said.
Kamatuka added before the directorate was established in 2015, learners and students from marginalised communities struggled with basic education needs.
He said the division has channelled a significant amount of money from its allocated budget towards education support.
“Unfortunately this has placed financial constraints on the budget of the division as the programme is catering for many students,” he said.
The division is currently assisting 37 learners at primary schools, 246 at secondary schools and 365 students enrolled at institutions of higher learning.
“For those under grade 12 we offer them N$500 a month because many are young and they also stay with their parents and they are going through a free education programme.
For those at institutions of higher learning we offer them N$1 000 a month just because they are now grown, their basic needs have also increased and many stay away from their parents,” he said, before adding the division has been holding talks with the Namibian Students Financial Assistant Fund (NSFAF) to help fund the marginalised students through a special requirement criteria.
“Therefore, discussions are underway with NSFAF to transfer all marginalised students from our system to that of NSFAF.
This is to make sure that all student matters are centralised and is part of our integration process.
It remains government responsibility as a division to ensure that students and learners are not dropping out of their educational programmes due to the lack of accommodation, tuition fees, meals, transport, books, stationery and toiletries,” he said.
Kamatuka also announced Namcol has donated N$17 000 to sponsor marginalised learners currently enrolled at the institution.
ILENI NANDJATO
The support, which includes N$1 000 for students at tertiary institutions and N$500 for both primary and secondary school learners, is only meant to cover basic needs and excludes tuition fees, stationery and books.
Deputy director for the marginalised communities Gerson Kamatuka said government has put in place a student support programme to assist the marginalised communities.
“The division has been busy from the beginning of January to the end of February providing support to students and learners with enrolment recommendations to various recognised institutions of learning locally for accredited programmes, formulating and approval of the master list of beneficiaries for the 2018 academic year and updating of our database,” Kamatuka said.
Kamatuka added before the directorate was established in 2015, learners and students from marginalised communities struggled with basic education needs.
He said the division has channelled a significant amount of money from its allocated budget towards education support.
“Unfortunately this has placed financial constraints on the budget of the division as the programme is catering for many students,” he said.
The division is currently assisting 37 learners at primary schools, 246 at secondary schools and 365 students enrolled at institutions of higher learning.
“For those under grade 12 we offer them N$500 a month because many are young and they also stay with their parents and they are going through a free education programme.
For those at institutions of higher learning we offer them N$1 000 a month just because they are now grown, their basic needs have also increased and many stay away from their parents,” he said, before adding the division has been holding talks with the Namibian Students Financial Assistant Fund (NSFAF) to help fund the marginalised students through a special requirement criteria.
“Therefore, discussions are underway with NSFAF to transfer all marginalised students from our system to that of NSFAF.
This is to make sure that all student matters are centralised and is part of our integration process.
It remains government responsibility as a division to ensure that students and learners are not dropping out of their educational programmes due to the lack of accommodation, tuition fees, meals, transport, books, stationery and toiletries,” he said.
Kamatuka also announced Namcol has donated N$17 000 to sponsor marginalised learners currently enrolled at the institution.
ILENI NANDJATO
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