Renthia Kaimbi
The Etunda Farm Primary School and clinic, built through the vision of the late founding president Sam Nujoma, will be officially handed over to the Namibian government later today.
The school, constructed on Nujoma’s private farm is adjacent to the operational clinic on Nujoma’s private land, situated 30 km south of Otavi.
The project is seen as a lasting effort to improve education and healthcare for farmworkers’ children in the Otavi area.
Nujoma’s family and the Sam Nujoma Foundation will lead the handover ceremony.
Family members described the event as the fulfillment of Nujoma’s lifelong belief that education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty.
They said he was deeply affected by the struggles of farm workers’ children, who often inherited their parents’ labour instead of accessing education.
“He believed that education is the bridge between struggle and success,” said his daughter, Usuta Imbili.
She said the school was designed to give children an inheritance of opportunity and empower them to uplift their parents.
The school offers full primary education from Grades 1 to 7.
The facility includes modern classrooms, dormitories for boys and girls, teachers’ housing and a dining hall. Some parts, such as the hostel kitchen, are still under development.
While Nujoma personally funded the project, the Sam Nujoma Foundation, local businesses and international partners, including China, also provided support.
The family thanked the foundation’s chairperson, Nahas Angula, for helping to bring Nujoma’s vision to completion.
The family also urged farmowners in the surrounding Otavi area to honour Nujoma’s legacy by ensuring that all children on their farms are allowed to attend school.
The ceremony will be attended by vice president Lucia Witbooi, former president Nangolo Mbumba, deputy minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Dino Ballotti, and Chinese ambassador to Namibia Zhao Weiping.
Ballotti praised Nujoma’s initiative as a powerful act of leadership and a lasting contribution to Namibia’s education system.
“It speaks to the eternal legacy of our Founding Father’s belief that education is the greatest equaliser and the surest path to empowerment. By his selfless investment in a rural school, he reminds us that no child’s future should be determined by geography,” said Ballotti.
He said the project strengthens the national commitment to inclusive education, ensuring children in rural areas have the same learning opportunities as those in towns and cities.
“It’s a powerful example of servant leadership that continues to inspire us all,” Ballotti added.
