News from members: Namibia Project

Oliver is studying for a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Power at Namibia University of Science and Technology. Irmgard is completing an honours degree in Education, majoring in accounting and economics, at the University of Namibia. We are very proud that Oliver has passed 3 modules with distinction, 1 with merit and 2 with credit. He is in the process of applying for a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Placement. Irmgard has completed her teaching practice at Dr Alpo Mauno Mbamba JS School in Rundu and has started preparing her CV to apply for teaching vacancies .

The Namibia Project recognises the important part that the ACS International School students, families, and friends have played in enabling the trustees to support these two bright Namibian students. We also recognise the wonderful contribution which Dr Andreas Elombo has made to the personal development of our students in his “Student Mentor” trustee role.

Andreas has done a superb job keeping in touch with our scholarship students, advising them on preparing their CVs and writing letters of recommendation for them, despite being heavily committed to his own career development in the UK. In January 2022, Andreas moved to the UK to work as a Research Associate at the University of Bristol. In June he was then seconded to the University of Strathclyde to work on a tripartite collaboration research link with Bristol, Strathclyde and Namibia. He returned to Bristol University at the end of July to continue his position as a Research Associate in Future Energy Networks.

Namibia trip consultancy Alistair Cole (CEO Adventure Lifesigns)

ACS plans to resume student expeditions to Namibia in the summer of 2023. The school has appointed Adventure Lifesigns to fulfil this role, whose CEO, Alistair Cole, has been working with the ACS Namibia Project school sponsors. They want the student trip to Namibia to last approximately 14 days. The emphasis should be on environmental sustainability and activities should be organised to involve the ACS students in hands-on activities with the Namibian learners.

Rijn and I have been working with Alistair on a draft itinerary for the student expedition and for a fact-finding visit for Alistair to visit Namibia at the end of August to llKhuta!hoas Primary School and NaDEET (Namib Desert Environmental Trust).

NADEET newsletter plus ideas for the ACS expedition to Namibia

We suggested that if ACS wants to meet the criteria of “hands-on” sustainability activities for the students, they should visit NaDEET first to “Learn about Living for a Sustainable Future” before they visit llKhuta!hoas Primary School then The NaDEET newsletter (latest NaDEET Newsletter linked) covers a number of exciting ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) programmes which could give the school team ideas to implement when visiting llKhuta!hoas Primary School.

The involvement of the Adventure Lifesigns company to organize the ACS Namibia Trip will be very beneficial to all parties as:

  • ACS is very keen to promote ‘net zero’ and to be seen to be implementing this
  • NaDEET has a vision for integration to ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). If ACS students could receive both formal training and hands-on practical experience in an ESD Lesson Plan they could implement this and additional activities on addressing food security by involving the learners in the school garden at llKhuta!hoas Primary School.

Ann and Rijn Brandse, Namibia Project, 31 July 2022

https://www.namibiaproject.org.uk/