Africa-Press – Namibia.
A 72-year-old Bernhardt Zaaruka, during a recent NUST graduation, walked to the podium in Mercure hotel with calm confidence, greeted by cheers and admiration. The newly conferred Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship (Honoris Causa) smiled warmly at the hundreds of graduates before him, young minds ready to take on the world. What followed was not a lecture filled with theory, but a heartfelt life lesson told through the story of a simple pencil.
He began, echoing the pencil maker’s words, “There are five things you must remember.” He lifted his hand, gesturing gently as he spoke. “First, a pencil can only write if someone holds it. In the same way, you can only do great things if you allow yourself to be guided. A mentor’s hand will shape your journey, don’t think your certificate alone will do that.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd when he recounted his own early struggles. After retirement, he said, he was too restless to stay at home. He went to work, not for money, but for a purpose. “They asked me, ‘Who employs you and who is going to pay you?’ and I said, ‘No one. I just work.’ They laughed, but I told them, I don’t need money, I need work.”
“They told me that they will pay me N$50 that month”. “It was the proudest fifty dollars of my life,” he said with a smile. “And that’s where my story began.”
From those humble beginnings, Zaaruka built a life of integrity and hard work, lessons that shaped his message to Namibia’s youth.
“The second thing the pencil maker said,” he continued, “is that sharpening is painful, but necessary. Life will sharpen you, your boss may scold you, things may not go your way, but that pain prepares you for greatness.”
The third, he said, was that pencils have erasers, a reminder that it’s okay to make mistakes. “Even in business, most people fail before they succeed. Failure is not the end; it’s how you learn. The only real failure is being too afraid to try.”
Then he leaned closer to the microphone, his voice soft but firm. “The fourth thing is this: The most important part of you is inside. Keep your values, your integrity, and your faith in yourself. That’s what gives you strength.”
He concluded with a lesson that drew a standing ovation: “No matter where life takes you, leave a mark. Don’t believe that it’s too late to make something of yourself. Even at 72, I still plant trees, because the second-best time to start is always today.”
At the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Sport, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti delivered the keynote address on behalf the President. “Today, we honour a man whose life is a lesson, a man of humility and quiet strength. Zaaruka is a book of wisdom; through him, we learn what perseverance truly means.”
The president reminded graduates that education is more than a personal achievement; it’s a shared victory with families and friends. “Our new war is not fought with guns, but with ideas and innovation. When others see unemployment, you must see entrepreneurship. When they see obstacles, see opportunities,” she said.
In addition, the president paid tribute to parents and guardians, calling them “silent heroes” who sacrificed so their children could wear their graduation gowns. “Some walked in the rain to hide their tears,” but today, those tears have become joy,” she added.
“From 2026 to 2038, tertiary education in Namibia will be fully subsidized by government,” he announced to thunderous applause. “No Namibian student will pay registration or tuition fees at public universities,” said the Head of State.
She stated that free education is not an act of charity, but an investment in Namibia’s greatest resource, its people. “We are building a nation that believes in opportunity, fairness, and hard work. Let us all be the pencils that write Namibia’s next chapter,” concluded the president.
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