Leaving footprints in education

Mariselle Stofberg American non-profit organisation Footsteps for Africa officially handed over a new library and community learning centre to the Michelle McLean Primary School in Otjomuise on Friday, 29 January.This was done in collaboration with the Read Namibia Coalition, Glowdom, Yambeka Children Media (Namibia Book Fair) and Fitcity Namibia.The new library and community centre, which will be known as the Salzman Library, is the first of many that will serve as an open-access library centre for children in the Otjomuise and 7de Laan areas. The initiative will have a particular focus on serving orphans and vulnerable children who may not otherwise have the resources or means to attend e-learning school activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.“Given the challenges we are facing as a nation due to the impact of Covid-19, the Michelle McLean Primary School is now best placed to deal with online learning because of the donation of books and computers,” Paulus Lewin, the Khomas education director, said. “This project will enable Namibian youth to help themselves out of poverty and will contribute to a more equal and just society where we can collectively develop our country for the common good of humanity,” he added. This project is part of an to provide quality education in Namibia. The library and community centre are 100% funded by two American philanthropists, Alan and Tiara Salzman. Power of partnershipMoved by the hands-on approach implemented by Footsteps For Africa, the Salzmans partnered to create the library and community centre to help children and teachers to access a range of education resources and to foster a reading culture in. “We and our donors, Alan and Tiara Salzman, have established this library simply because we believe Nelson Mandela when he said that education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. I’d like to add to that quote by saying that we know it can enable a child to also change his or her individual life if they want to. “Life has a way of launching surprise attacks on each of us, creating wounds, disadvantages, and tremendous struggles,” said Austin Cameron, the founder and CEO of Footsteps For Africa. He added that you can fight your way through these battles that come to you without invitation. He also believes it is possible to “arm ourselves to fight back, to take control of our lives, to absorb the blows and press forward, aggressively pursuing the lives that we want for ourselves, our families, our nations.”“We hope that these educational weapons in this new Salzman Library will help to support what this school and this community is already doing, which is to inspire children to take this control, to take on this fight,” he added. Investing in educationAfter starting in 2000 with only 200 learners, six teachers and a principal, Michelle McLean Primary School has grown to accommodate 1 157 learners, 34 teachers, four institutional workers and two administrative staff. “We were delighted when Footsteps For Africa recognised the continuous efforts of the school to upgrade and equip our library and learning centre to assist our learners. With their generous contribution, a dream we had - which would have taken us three years - has now been realised in mere months, and we will remain ever grateful,” principal Nadia Lizazi said. “This sponsorship has provided our learners with the foundation to be introduced to a world outside their own where their reading skills are developed. Libraries conserve the heritage of the past, but they also hold the promise of the future, and will bring opportunities to all,” she said.

Leaving footprints in education

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Leaving footprints in education

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