Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibia College of Open Learning (Namcol) recently awarded scholarships to 41 students countrywide, including nine inmates.
Sentenced to serve 32 years in prison, Richard Hange is one of the beneficiaries. Hange said he is grateful for the opportunity to further his studies, something he could not do while outside prison.
During the ceremony, Hange told The Namibian that having an opportunity to be educated behind bars is a privilege he will never take for granted. “After completing Namcol, I would want to be someone in life. It has been long since I attended school and this is a very big opportunity that came to me,” Hange said.
Present at the event was Namcol director Heroldt Murangi who advised the students on the importance of education and said for a student to prosper academically, discipline, self-determination, commitment and hard work were required.
He further emphasised that Namcol is not for failures but for people who have accepted a second chance to gain an education. Murangi added that there is nothing wrong with failing because it is through failing that we learn from our mistakes.
He further congratulated the Khomas Regional Council for its contribution in funding the students. “Every year we try to increase the scholarships for our students to at least reach the one million mark,” he added.
Murangi said NSFAF funding should not only accommodate those in tertiary institutions but also those who are willing to improve their education. One of the funded offenders, Leena Shaambeni, expressed appreciation on behalf of the inmates.
“A nation with uneducated people is like a trip that does not have a final destination. That is why we will gladly grab this opportunity.
“To my fellow offenders, let us not be blinded by our situation and forget to see the bigger picture ahead of us,” she said. Present at the event was the deputy minister of information, Emma Theofelus, who shared a few study tips to prosper academically.
“Make sure to read and understand what you are reading, be disciplined and committed to your studies because it is your choice to make your future bright,” she said.
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