Renthia Kaimbi
The Capricorn Foundation is investing in strengthening school leadership through a renewed partnership with the African Leadership Institute (ALI). A N$480 000 donation will fund a two-year certificate in transformational leadership for a second cohort of 29 school principals and senior school leaders.
The foundation made the same contribution in 2024, supporting 19 principals and department heads who have since completed the programme.
To date, the foundation has invested N$960 000 to train 48 school leaders.
Marlize Horn,
The executive director of the Capricorn Foundation said leadership development is a key part of their education focus.
“The Capricorn Foundation commits to supporting leadership training as part of our Education Focus Area. As Connectors of Positive Change, we believe that investing in education extends beyond learners; it is equally vital to empower school leaders to reach their full potential. By doing so, we create a ripple effect that positively impacts the lives of the Namibian child,” she said.
ALI, a Namibian non-profit, runs the NQA-accredited certificate programme aimed at improving learner outcomes and strengthening school management. The training focuses on resilience, leadership and building strong school cultures.
Dr Chrisna von Gericke-Fourie, ALI’s chief operations officer and training manager, said the institute’s work centres on developing leaders who can drive meaningful change.
“At ALI, we inspire and enable leaders to lead powerful transformation in their personal lives, in their relationships at work and at home, in their performance in the workplace and in their community. We equip and develop leaders with soft hearts, tough minds, upright characters and skilful hands to transform Africa,” she said.
Graduates of the programme have already reported improvements in their schools. David Mushaandja, Principal of Ekulo Senior Secondary School in the Oshikoto Region, said the training helped his school establish strong guiding statements.
“As a result of the ALI training, together with all my staff and school board members, we developed high-level statements for the school, i.e., vision, mission, core values, mandate and motto. All our actions became geared towards the attainment of these,” he said.
Mushaandja also noted academic progress.
“The academic performance of the school has improved, and last year (2024), our school was ranked number 8 nationally in the Grade 11 external examinations and number 9 in the Grade 12 external examinations among public schools. Regionally, our school was rated number 2 for Grade 11 results and number 1 for Grade 12 results,” he said.
The partnership underscores a growing emphasis on developing strong school leaders as a strategy to improve education across Namibia.
