Various individuals have pledged a combined N$100 000 towards Okombahe Gaob Dr. Justus //Garoeb High School to acquire a school bus.
This comes after a two-day fundraising gala dinner and inauguration ceremony.
The event took place at the school premises over the weekend to honour the legacy of the Damara king, Gaob Justus //Garoeb, after whom the school has been named.
The event attracted many educational government officials, including the deputy minister of higher education, technology and innovation, Natalia Goagoses, and many others from the Erongo region.
During the event, Goagoses said education is a divine calling.
She encouraged pupils to study hard, shared her own life story, and urged attendees to help the school realise its dream.
School principal Licaba Siboli said the school desperately needed funds to buy a bus.
“It’s a dream we’ve had since 2018, but have failed to realise because every door on which we knocked has been unkindly shut,” he said.
Siboli said the school has written countless letters to the corporate sector, to no avail.
“For a remote school, a bus is a basic need. We would love to take pupils to sporting events and experiences, on field trips, or on excursions, but at the moment we cannot,” he said.
Last year, the school was renamed from Dibasen High School to Gaob Dr. Justus //Garoeb High School to pay tribute to the king.
Representatives of the royal family and the wider Damara community gathered for the inauguration ceremony.
The school also launched its campaign ‘Empowering Our Future, One Bus at a Time’ at the event.
“Our extended curriculum, now offering the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary, demands increased mobility for our senior pupils, beyond routine sporting trips and curriculum-related excursions,” Siboli said.
The school is situated near Omaruru in the Erongo region and has more than 326 pupils.
