Rundu students plead for funding assistance

Students at Rundu’s Alba Chipamba Training Centre have been facing severe financial problems, resulting in about 20 students dropping out due to a lack of funding.“Alba Chipamba students are calling out, crying and pleading for the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to hear our cry and start supporting us. We can&#039;t do it alone,” said Johana Lirungu, president of the Student Representative Council (SRC).Lirungu made these remarks last Friday at a conference aimed at consulting students and student leaders through scheduled regional conferences on their concerns and recommendations about the funding model.She emphasised that Alba Chipamba students are urging NSFAF and the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) to reconsider their funding criteria.“NSFAF has not funded students from Alba Chipamba due to their strict criteria, leaving students in a state of desperation, with many turning to the streets and engaging in criminal activities,” she said.“We also appeal to the National African Students’ Association (NASA) to help us in this battle. The answer is painful if someone asks where the students who dropped out are. Many have joined the streets, often committing crimes. Female students may turn to prostitution, while male students may end up selling alcohol or drugs, which can lead to psychosis or depression,” Lirungu said.Dire consequencesShe added that when you visit psychiatric hospitals, you find them full of well-spoken young people.“This is not because they became smart after becoming psychotic; no, it is because they were smart to begin with. They should be studying, but due to financial problems, they end up in such situations. People often say the future of the country is in the youth. But where is the country if its youth are in mental institutions? Where are the leaders of tomorrow if they are in mental institutions?"“We are pleading with you to help us in this fight to urge NSFAF and NQA to reconsider their criteria for funding institutions. Otherwise, by the time they decide to fund us, many will already be in graves or mental institutions, which is tragic,” she warned.nikanor@erongo.com.na

Rundu students plead for funding assistance

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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Rundu students plead for funding assistance

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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