Education the key to success – a motto Preis lives by

GIVE a child a book and you give him or her the world, is what Inger Preis believes in.

Preis is the owner and co-founder of Pollination Publishers, a local company that publishes textbooks for the school market. Realising that there was a real need for quality textbooks with colour effects to compliment the text, together with Pierre van der Westhuizen, she decided to start their own company with the aim of providing quality textbooks to Namibian learners.This was four years ago, and after purchasing the shares held by her business partner, Preis is now the sole owner of the company.She is presently collaborating and working with a number of freelance Namibian writers, photographers, illustrators, editors and translators to publish new schoolbooks for the revised curriculum.Sitting comfortably behind her computer at her offices in Acacia, Windhoek, Preis exudes confidence as she talks to The Namibian about her work and business.Summing up her love for her work, Preis said: “Education is the most important gift that one can give and I feel that I have a lot to offer in the field.My aim is to provide quality textbooks to as many learners as possible”.In a unique style, Preis has approached several Namibian companies who share her vision and who have, in the spirit of social responsibility, purchased a number of her approved books, which were then donated to some of the marginalised schools around the country.She added that in the cut-throat business of publishing where the major players are taking a huge chunk of the market merely because they are so big, smaller publishing companies like Pollination Publishers has to offer the market something more than just an ordinary product.Preis believes that Pollination does that by providing learner-and teacher-friendly publications, also saying the textbooks had become popular with pupils.The textbooks cover primary subjects such as English, Mathematics, Handwriting, Phonics, Agriculture and Afrikaans and secondary subjects like Business Management.Pollination Publishers, registered with the Namibia Institute for Educational Development, is also currently getting the lower primary textbooks translated into some of the Namibian languages, like Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Otjiherero and Rukwangali.Preis, who has been actively involved in writing a number of the approved textbooks, holds an MA degree from the University of Pretoria, and has teaching experience of 13 years, during which time she taught English, Bible Studies and Afrikaans and also acted as a Guidance teacher.On the financial aspects of the company, Preis refused to be drawn into divulging figures, but said her business was growing steadily , after the initial difficult period of becoming established in a very competitive market.The cheerful Preis with conviction in her voice said she is ‘a typical spinster’ with no children, but devotes her time to her pets.She talks fondly about them, as she takes Tanja Bause the photographer and myself into the warehouse where one of the two company cats, Piering, is resting.She shows us the paws of the cat which are big and have six claws each, instead of the normal five.Piering, which means small plate in Afrikaans, is an apt name for this big adorable cat whose paws are like saucers! The storeroom, unlike most storerooms which are stuffy crammed and dark, is a bright room full of colourful books ready for delivery! Preis spends the little time she has engaged in activities for the Cat Protection Society.She also makes time for squash, reading, gardening and of course writing.And what does the future hold? Well, Preis says she will continue her hard work and hopes that her company grows, establishes itself in the publishing industry and also makes a mark in Namibia serving a meaningful purpose of educating children.Pollination Publishers is a member of the the Association of Namibian Publishers, of which Preis is an executive member and also a member of the local textbooks committee.The company is also the agency of international Juta Gariep Publishers in Namibia.Realising that there was a real need for quality textbooks with colour effects to compliment the text, together with Pierre van der Westhuizen, she decided to start their own company with the aim of providing quality textbooks to Namibian learners.This was four years ago, and after purchasing the shares held by her business partner, Preis is now the sole owner of the company. She is presently collaborating and working with a number of freelance Namibian writers, photographers, illustrators, editors and translators to publish new schoolbooks for the revised curriculum.Sitting comfortably behind her computer at her offices in Acacia, Windhoek, Preis exudes confidence as she talks to The Namibian about her work and business.Summing up her love for her work, Preis said: “Education is the most important gift that one can give and I feel that I have a lot to offer in the field.My aim is to provide quality textbooks to as many learners as possible”.In a unique style, Preis has approached several Namibian companies who share her vision and who have, in the spirit of social responsibility, purchased a number of her approved books, which were then donated to some of the marginalised schools around the country.She added that in the cut-throat business of publishing where the major players are taking a huge chunk of the market merely because they are so big, smaller publishing companies like Pollination Publishers has to offer the market something more than just an ordinary product.Preis believes that Pollination does that by providing learner-and teacher-friendly publications, also saying the textbooks had become popular with pupils.The textbooks cover primary subjects such as English, Mathematics, Handwriting, Phonics, Agriculture and Afrikaans and secondary subjects like Business Management.Pollination Publishers, registered with the Namibia Institute for Educational Development, is also currently getting the lower primary textbooks translated into some of the Namibian languages, like Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Otjiherero and Rukwangali.Preis, who has been actively involved in writing a number of the approved textbooks, holds an MA degree from the University of Pretoria, and has teaching experience of 13 years, during which time she taught English, Bible Studies and Afrikaans and also acted as a Guidance teacher.On the financial aspects of the company, Preis refused to be drawn into divulging figures, but said her business was growing steadily , after the initial difficult period of becoming established in a very competitive market.The cheerful Preis with conviction in her voice said she is ‘a typical spinster’ with no children, but devotes her time to her pets.She talks fondly about them, as she takes Tanja Bause the photographer and myself into the warehouse where one of the two company cats, Piering, is resting.She shows us the paws of the cat which are big and have six claws each, instead of the normal five.Piering, which means small plate in Afrikaans, is an apt name for this big adorable cat whose paws are like saucers! The storeroom, unlike most storerooms which are stuffy crammed and dark, is a bright room full of colourful books ready for delivery! Preis spends the little time she has engaged in activities for the Cat Protection Society.She also makes time for squash, reading, gardening and of course writing.And what does the future hold? Well, Preis says she will continue her hard work and hopes that her company grows, establishes itself in the publishing industry and also makes a mark in Namibia serving a meaningful purpose of educating children.Pollination Publishers is a member of the the Association of Namibian Publishers, of which Preis is an executive member and also a member of the local textbooks committee.The company is also the agency of international Juta Gariep Publishers in Namibia.