Namibian students off to Finland

Twenty-four Namibian students are off to Finland to study Teaching.

The Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) hosted an event last week to celebrate the students, who are about to embark on their Bachelor of Education degree at one of the first and oldest teacher training universities in Finland.

These students represent the initial group of 50 students who have secured a place at Turku University, in Rauma, Finland, after last year’s ministerial delegation went to Finland to discuss collaborations.

NSFAF joined the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation’s Ministerial delegation that went to Finland last year to engage universities for the purposes of placing Namibian students in Finnish tertiary institutions.

The first group of 25 are pursuing their Masters in Primary Education.

The group of 24 left on Monday.

It is a privilege for the Namibian students to be able to study at the University of Turku, which has offered teachers' education degrees for the past 120 years.

The departure of these students truly demonstrates the benefit of having an organisation like NSFAF in Namibia. At least six of Namibian students who completed grade 12 in 2014, most of them with over 30 points, never pursued any tertiary education until now.

They didn't have access to information on tertiary education.

NSFAF identified the potential students through the 2015 regional campaign.

Parents, friends, family, the general public and the "potential" students themselves started sharing names and stories of learners who had more than 25 points, but weren’t enrolled in tertiary institutions.

These were learners who were either working at supermarkets or doing rural and menial jobs. They had no alternative as they didn’t have the information they needed about NSFAF and access to funds and education.

NSFAF created a regional campaign to counter this. They engaged directly with the 14 Directors of Education to urge and motivate all learners with 25 points and above through radio announcements and other mediums to register so that regions could send their names to NSFAF.

As a result of this initiative, NSFAF received a list of 42 learners who had passed Grade 12, but so far hadn't had the opportunity to study.

This meant these students could be traced and proactively engaged to be assisted in seeking admission to tertiary academic institutions.

Some of these NSFAF beneficiaries are now pursuing their teachers’ degrees in Finland.

BOTSWANA

As part of the same campaign NSFAF also learnt that students with special needs at schools throughout the regions never make it further than Grade 7, due to various challenges.

Upon learning of this, NSFAF also engaged the regional educational structures and secured placement of 25 learners with special needs at the University of Limkokwing, in Botswana, to study various technical courses and become proficient in a vocational trade.

The Namibian Ambassador to Finland, Bonny Haufiku, was present at the pre-departure briefing where he told students they must always remember they're Namibians first. He encouraged them to take care of each other and act as ambassadors.

Olavi Hamwele of NSFAF said: “It gives the NSFAF a great sense of purpose and pride to see these students jet off to pursue their educational dreams with the assistance of the Ministry and our very own NSFAF.

"Through our special initiatives programme the 25 learners who are currently studying at Limkokwing will also be making valuable contributions to Namibia. This is what access to education for all is really about. NSFAF will continue to pursue this and attempt to assist each and every capable learner of achieving their academic best.”