Scholarship Fund for Students

Most youth struggle for economic empowerment and employment in the rural conservancies in the Zambezi Region. Here, the unemployment rate of youth ages 15-24 is 72.2%, higher than the national average of Namibia at 58.5% (Namibia Labour Force Survey Report, 2016).

IRDNC, in partnership with WWF in Namibia, Namibia Development Trust, and the Namibian College for Open Learning (NAMCOL), collaborated on an initiative to give opportunities to enable students – all of them from conservancies - to study and retake national exams to pass either Grades 10 or 12 through NAMCOL. The vision of this initiative was to test a model that could potentially be replicated by conservancies themselves.

In Namibia, the most crucial years in the academic life of a student are Grades 10 and 12. Completion of Grade 10 leads to progressing forward to Grade 12; otherwise a student’s academic path ends. Youth have more opportunities for employment in society as well as a pathway for tertiary education after completing Grade 12.

Throughout all 15 conservancies and Kyramacan Association in Bwabwata National Park, a total of 59 students, half of which are female, were registered and are currently enrolled in the program. This includes 49 Grade 12 students and ten Grade 10 students with subjects such as Development Studies, Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, History, Mathematics, Life Science, Physical Science, Biology and English.

Several parents and guardians expressed gratitude and appreciation to WWF for enabling children to complete their education. According to Nanyikwa Terricy Sibolile, a Grade 12 learner from Mashi Conservancy, “the scholarship was the only way I could afford to go back to school because my parents do not work. I was very happy when I got the scholarship. My parents are very happy for me too because I was just at home doing nothing”. Nanyikwa enrolled and passed English, Biology and Agriculture last year, and proceeded to register for Mathematics at the beginning of this year. Her dream is to become a teacher in order to inspire other learners to further their studies. Another student from Kapolota Village in Lesese Conservancy, Richard Mubita Siseho, said “my dad used to pay my school fees with a government grant but he passed away. My mom does not qualify for this grant. I am therefore very thankful for this scholarship and I am now looking for another funding to study Nursing at a higher institution”. Richard’s story is inspirational. He passed English and Silozi at High Level and completed his Grade 12 last year, however, he could not get another funding opportunity for his Nursing degree. He therefore decided to move from his village to Katima Mulilo town in hope of better chances of finding another scholarship.