Young academic opens centre for adult literacy

A FORMER 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship beneficiary, whose greatest passion lies in education, has opened a centre catering for adults seeking self-empowerment and development.

Wilfried Mbamba (26) opened Hatika Adult Education Centre in May 2019 in Windhoek’s Goreangab informal settlement.

He named the centre after his godmother who passed away in 2004. He says his godmother taught him some of the values he possesses as an adult such as being selfless, passionate and being a servant leader to continuously better the lives of others through educational opportunities.

Mbamba, who is a teacher by profession, said he saw the need to open a centre after he realised that some of his pupils were having problems completing their homework because their parents were not able to help them.

After returning from the intensive Mandela Washington Fellowship leadership programme in the United States, he pursued his passion for education by setting up the centre which offers a variety of self-enrichment and capacity building courses to adults who never got those educational opportunities in the past.

Mbamba applied for a grant from the US embassy in Namibia to start the literacy centre and he was offered N$15 000 as start-up capital to buy the stationery, zinc for the shack, tables, chairs and provide books.

At inception last year, the centre offered English classes for beginners, Afrikaans for beginners, and basic computer level one. It has now expanded to offering knitting, sign language, business skills, basic mathematics and financial literacy, which will be taught by a lecturer from the Namibian University of Science and Technology.

“The centre has grown in many ways in less than a year since its inception. The number of students increased, a second classroom established and new courses initiated,” he said. So far 98 students have enrolled for the courses this year.

The languages are offered over a six-month period whereas level one basic computer is a one-month course with classes taking place every Saturday, with the help of volunteer tutors.

Some courses offered at the centre are free, such as basic mathematics, financial literacy, learners drivers’ licence classes, small business management while for the other courses the fees range from N$50 to N$100 per month.

“My vision is to see the initiative spreading all over Namibia, I think when I achieve that, I will be at peace,” he said.

Mbamba said the courses he offers are not accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) as they do not accredit short courses, and added that all their courses are for self-enrichment and self-development purposes.

“We are not saying that with our certificate you can get a job, but its more of self-development and capacity building,” he said.

Thirty-five-year-old Defney Mingeri has joined most of the classes offered at the centre in a bid to expand on her skills. Mingeri dropped out of school in Grade 9 and could not complete her education because her mother could not afford to take her to Namcol while having other children to look after.

She went on to do low paying jobs as a domestic worker then as a daycare teacher. Mingeri found new hope in furthering her education while working at a college as a cleaner.

“While I was cleaning, I used to go in the computer room and I would attempt to work on it. I was having this feeling to study and do something to better my life,” she said.

One day while she was at a bar close to the centre, a friend of hers placed a board outside the literacy centre. She called the number on the board and enquired about the courses.

She registered last year for basic computer and small business entrepreneurship courses, but could not attend the classes at that time since she was pregnant and only started this year.

Mingeri, who is a mother of six children, said her husband did not agree with her attending the courses as he expected her to fulfil the role of being a stay-at-home mother while he assumes the role of being the sole provider.

“I want to be independent. Now he complains about me attending these classes but I don’t care,” she said.

For now, Mingeri sells popcorn and home-made cake, but hopes to open a bakery and teach pre-primary. In a month, she earns between N$200 and N$300 from selling these items.

She noted that at the centre, she pays only N$30 for registration.

“This centre is very important to me because it has showed me that I can be someone in life that I have never been,” she said.

While she waits to attend the second level of basic computer, Mingeri has joined English and the learners licence class. “Why stay at home if there is English to improve,” she said. She also hopes to enrol her son who dropped out of school for English and computer this year.

Vincent Tjikune, a volunteer for the basic computer course and legal adviser at First National Bank, has also joined some of the courses offered at the centre. He decided to try knitting and sign language because he wanted to learn a skill that was outside his comfort zone.

Tjikune started off assisting Mbamba with the classes before volunteering to teach basic computer skills because he saw the need for such courses.

Salonika Kaujende (42) registered for the basic computer, knitting and learner drivers’ licence this year because she wanted to improve her education and pick up on more skills.

Kaujende dropped out in Grade 10 and could also not complete her education because of financial reasons. She started working in a restaurant for three months before getting a job as a domestic worker.