NamSTEM is going places
Nine learners from Walvis Bay recently attended the South African Youth Engineering and Science Symposium (SAYESS) in Pretoria, South Africa.
Leandrea Louw
The learners are Lauryn Maanda, Reginelda Stefanus, Penny Kashidukila and Naftali Shinyama (from De Duine Secondary School), Josephine Amavila, Jasmine Sitzer, Blommie Awases and Killian Beukes (from Duneside High School), Elizabeth Kashimbode (from Flamingo Secondary School) and Selma Shimi (from !Nara Primary School).
These learners were chosen after their participation in the second annual Walvis Bay Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair hosted by the Namibia Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Association (NamSTEM).
The founder of NamStem, Anastacia de Klerk, says these types of competitions are important because they help expose learners to new environments.
“At the same time it broadens their outlook in life and also awards them with new opportunities.”
NamSTEM is spearheading numerous youth development projects.
One of its recent projects was the second annual Diabetes Fundraising Project.
De Klerk, who was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in 2016, said she started the initiative to help raise funds for learners who cannot afford medical aid.
To help with fundraising she sold a gebra (flower), with a keyring and a pamphlet on diabetes for N$50 each.
“In terms of awareness we did great this year since we managed to distribute more pamphlets. We distributed pamphlets at the various clinics and the state hospital in Walvis Bay.
“We are in the process of creating awareness posters for the health facilities in Walvis Bay. As for the funding, we didn’t raise as much money as we did previously but every little counts and we remain positive. Next year we will be doing more in terms of fundraising, but we are going to start earlier in the year.”
The learners are Lauryn Maanda, Reginelda Stefanus, Penny Kashidukila and Naftali Shinyama (from De Duine Secondary School), Josephine Amavila, Jasmine Sitzer, Blommie Awases and Killian Beukes (from Duneside High School), Elizabeth Kashimbode (from Flamingo Secondary School) and Selma Shimi (from !Nara Primary School).
These learners were chosen after their participation in the second annual Walvis Bay Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair hosted by the Namibia Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Association (NamSTEM).
The founder of NamStem, Anastacia de Klerk, says these types of competitions are important because they help expose learners to new environments.
“At the same time it broadens their outlook in life and also awards them with new opportunities.”
NamSTEM is spearheading numerous youth development projects.
One of its recent projects was the second annual Diabetes Fundraising Project.
De Klerk, who was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in 2016, said she started the initiative to help raise funds for learners who cannot afford medical aid.
To help with fundraising she sold a gebra (flower), with a keyring and a pamphlet on diabetes for N$50 each.
“In terms of awareness we did great this year since we managed to distribute more pamphlets. We distributed pamphlets at the various clinics and the state hospital in Walvis Bay.
“We are in the process of creating awareness posters for the health facilities in Walvis Bay. As for the funding, we didn’t raise as much money as we did previously but every little counts and we remain positive. Next year we will be doing more in terms of fundraising, but we are going to start earlier in the year.”
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