Our Stories
Ombili Primary School – Building opportunities
November 15, 2022
“Ombili pupils were taught in army tents in another schoolyard. Children were exposed to severe weather conditions in these tents – stifling in summer, noisy during windy conditions, and freezing in winter. Yet they attended; they persevered!”
This is how Paulo Samuel, CSR Education Specialist at B2Gold Namibia, described the conditions at Ombili Primary School, which is located in the Ombili informal settlement in Otjiwarongo. The town, Otjiwarongo, is home to most of the Otjikoto Mine workforce.
B2Gold was made aware of conditions at the school and a delegation consisting of B2Gold representatives and Hon. James Uerikua, Governor of the Otjozondjupa Region, visited the pupils to learn about their challenges first-hand. It was evident that proper school infrastructure was required. A funding application for the construction of a school building was approved by the B2Gold Namibia CSR Board in 2019.
By the end of April 2020, Phase 1 of the project was complete, with a total of eight classrooms, two storage rooms, a large ablution facility, and fencing. Once the entire project is complete, Ombili Primary School will be able to accommodate 1,600 pupils (grades 1 through 7), with 60 teachers.
At the inauguration of the first phase of the school, James Uerikua emphasized the importance of private sector support for the development of educational facilities in informal settlements such as Ombili. “The reality is that, with education, a peasant’s child can become a medical doctor, the child of a mine worker can become a mine owner, and a farmer’s child can become president.”
