The Ohangwena region recorded about 1 750 school dropouts in 2025, with boys accounting for the majority, prompting the first gentleman to call for urgent, coordinated community action targeting boys.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah announced this during an engagement session at Eenhana on Saturday.
He said the figures raise concern over the growing gap in the academic and health needs of boys in the region.
The region also recorded the highest number of school dropouts among all the regions he has visited during his national ‘boy-child’ consultations.
“Behind these numbers are young lives affected by poverty, child labour, limited parental involvement and the pressure to provide for their families,” Ndaitwah said.
Ohangwena governor Kadiva Hamutumwa at the event said supporting boys should not be seen as competing with efforts to empower girls, but rather as a complementary investment in the country’s future.
“A nation that has fought hard for its daughters cannot, in good conscience, look away from its sons,” she said.
