Fighting for what's right

Tunohole Mungoba Eusebio Omar van Reenen now has the opportunity to advocate for more than 8 000 students at the State University of New York (Suny) at Oswego in the United States as the first international president of its student association.The association is a non-profit organisation that seeks to empower and represent the voices of the students at Suny. “As president, I will be able to push for policies that uplift our campus community and push our students forward, and not one step back. I will be assuring our students that together we can, inclusive we can and onward we can,” the 21-year-old Namibian said.Pursuing a dual degree in biochemistry and political science, Van Reenen has finished his sophomore (second) year and will be heading into his junior (third) year at college. Van Reenen tells The Zone that growing up in Namibia has inspired him to always be determined to uplift his community and push his country forward. “I came to the United States with the goal of gaining knowledge to help Namibia pioneer in HIV/Aids research and find a cure for the pandemic. About 9.3% of our adult population is infected with the virus. Hence, I wanted to alleviate the pandemic in our society and the world, and in turn make Namibia a leader in fighting it. However, I have always had a passion for advocacy and fighting for people's rights,” he explained. This is what inspired Van Reenen to study for his dual degree. “I decided to combine my two passions and pursue a career that will help push the people of Namibia forward. Whether it is in the lab, discovering medicinal breakthroughs or in the Namibian parliament, fighting for what's right and making sure no one who calls Namibia home gets left behind.“I ran for president of the Rotary Interact Club of Walvis Bay in 2014, served as head boy of my high school in 2015 and got elected to represent the youth of Walvis Bay as junior mayor of the port city of Walvis Bay for the term 2014 to 2015,” Van Reenen said.Born and raised in Walvis Bay, Van Reenen completed his secondary school education at Duneside High School and grew up in the community of Narraville. His journey Van Reenen started participating in science fairs from grade 4 and did this throughout high school. “This granted me opportunities to represent Namibia abroad at numerous international science fairs. In 2015, I was selected to represent Namibia at the Genius Olympiad International Environmental and Science Fair, which took place at my current university, Suny Oswego,” he said. Van Reenen won a scholarship based on the research he did and he decided to take the opportunity to pursue his destiny in the United States in the largest public university system in the world. “I ran for president to empower the students of Suny Oswego to continue to fight for what's right, because fighting for what's right is always worth it. As president, it is imperative to place service before self, and advocate for issues at the heart of our students,” he said. Van Reenen fights for the rights and equal opportunities of all students, regardless of their race, gender, immigration status, religion and sexual orientation. “I wanted to advocate for policies that promote diversity on our campus, urging the administration to install gender inclusive and gender neutral bathrooms for transgender students and allocate funding for free and equal access to menstrual products such as tampons and sanitary pads in all academic buildings for our female students.”He also wants to ensure that women sport teams have equal opportunities to thrive on campus.“These initiatives will serve as a platform, from championing environmental best practices to standing up for women's rights, LGBTQI+ rights, rights for students of colour and rights of students with disabilities.” Van Reenen admits he has had his fair share of struggles living in a foreign country.“Challenges range from academics ones in funding your studies and textbooks, to maintaining the drive to pursue your destiny and excel intellectually while being far from your family,” he said. “But I believe the hardest challenge I faced was maintaining my identity as a 'coloured'. In the United States the origin of the word has deep racial scars to it. So it took a lot of explaining to my peers that I am proud of my ethnicity and culture.”Van Reenen encourages young Namibians to believe in the beauty of their dreams and says they should always be armed with knowledge. “I hope I have carried the Namibian flag high and promoted the inclusive values we share as an African nation; every day is a great day to be Namibian.”Quick facts about Omar:1. What is your favourite hangout spot in Namibia? The Walvis Bay lagoon at sunset.2. How do you relax after a hard day of work at school or the office? After a long day of classes, my friends and I grab Starbucks and catch up on the day.3. What books are you currently reading? 'What Happened' by Hillary Rodham Clinton and 'Dear Madam President' by Jennifer Palmieri.4. What's the last thing you watched on TV and why did you choose to watch it? CNN, as it's imperative to be an informed citizen and to accurately know the issues at the heart of the people you're fighting for.5. What job would you be terrible at and why? It would definitely be an English teacher. I have always been mediocre at spelling. 6. What skills would you like to master? Diplomacy and advocacy. 7. Which Namibian has impressed you most with what they've accomplished and why? The first lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos. She is the epitome of an empowered woman. The issues she fights for resonates with me, from prison reform to income inequality. She not only empowers little girls in Namibia, but men like me too.

Fighting for what's right

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-09

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Fighting for what's right

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-09

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