Investing for the greater good

Monique AdamsThe Maltas Club Namibia celebrated its 10th anniversary on 11 March this year. The core mandate of the Maltas Club is premier student learning in entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership skills.So far over 120 young people have benefited from this initiative.The club is open to all Namibian students at local institutions of higher learning who would like to advance their personal and professional skills.Maltas Club Namibia as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) applied for funding to the German embassy in Namibia and managed to secure funding of N$164 804.With this funding the club will purchase computer equipment to conduct ICT training workshops across Namibia.The 14-day programme kicked off with a launch ceremony on 8 November at the Tsumkwe Lodge that was attended by community members and the youth.The course consisted of two modules: basic ICT skills and professional development skills. In terms of ICT the trainees learned basic computer skills, Microsoft Office and PowerPoint, Excel and the use of social media in the most responsible way.After the intensive course, learners were assessed with a test and by writing their own curriculum vitae (CV).The trainees also learned basic health and hygiene, on how to stay motivated and study skills.The founder of the Maltas Club, Dr Wilfred April, said projects of this nature can help young people who dropped out of school and will help them stay out of the streets. Dr April said computer literacy training and ICT facilities are not readily available to rural communities in that area. The Maltas Club Namibia believes that ICT knowledge is critical for young people to access future employment opportunities in this competitive globe.“This programme will definitely be happening annually. We have a three-year plan laid out for empowering rural young people with ICT skills in all regions across Namibia. We intend to revisit Tsumkwe in March 2022 to see whether the youth has indeed made progress or not,” April said.Currently there are two classrooms at TUCSIN available for training in Tsumkwe. The equipment remains the property of the Maltas Club Namibia as stipulated in the contractual agreement with the German embassy.A few young people that attended the 14-day programme had this to say:Kephas Tame (Grade 10) – Tsumkwe Secondary School – “I have learned a lot in these past two weeks. This was also the very first time I was given the chance to type my own CV.”Werner Iihangwapo (Grade 9) – Tsumkwe Secondary School – “The instructors were very positive and I learned a lot.”Sunday David – (Grade 11) – “I learned how to switch a computer on and off and also the trainers were very enthusiastic.”Masiro Sachius – (Grade 10) – “I improved my typing speed and also learned how to set up an email account.”The club will visit the rural communities of the Okavango Region in June 2022. A visit to the Oshana Region is planned for April 2022. Exact dates will be confirmed later. Visits to the other the regions will take place in 2023.This was the first event of this magnitude at Tsumkwe, although the club has been working with the Tsumkwe community for the past nine years.The Tsumkwe Secondary School choir entertained the guests at the ceremony with traditional songs.The club would like to thank all other donors, such as TUCSIN and Dinapama Manufacturing and Supplies.

Investing for the greater good

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-04

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Investing for the greater good

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-04

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