Prisoner receives Namcol scholarship

A 32-year-old prisoner at the Oluno Correctional Facility is among the 30 learners from the Oshana Region who received scholarships from the Namibian College for Open Learning (Namcol) to improve their Grade 10 and 12 results.Mathias Nangolo Joseph, currently serving a six-year prison term after he was found guilty of assaulting his father in 2016, says being a prisoner does not prevent him from improving his level of education or receiving the same benefits as other Namibians. At Ongwediva yesterday, Namcol announced that it had awarded N$300 000 in scholarships to 250 beneficiaries countrywide. Thirty of these beneficiaries are from the Oshana Region. Namcol said beneficiaries were identified by their regional councillors. The director of Namcol, Heroldt Murangi, said the Namcol Scholarship Fund was established to enable needy and vulnerable learners an opportunity to improve their education. He said all Namibians deserved the same access to educational opportunities, but some were hampered by financial constraints. “It is a known fact that society is, and will never be, equal as some are faced by various social and economic challenges, hence it might not always be possible for all that may be dire need of something in life, to get it. “We are conscious of our corporate social responsibility in making our small contribution to uplifting the social wellbeing of less fortunate Namibians,” Murangi said. Murangi added that the scholarship fund operated in a transparent way, and applications were facilitated by all regional councils countrywide. “We hold the belief that regional councillors, as elected leaders of our communities, are in the best place to identify vulnerable and needy learners in their respective constituencies. They submitted applications as part of our awards to our regional offices,” he said. Joseph, who spoke on behalf of all the beneficiaries, said they were grateful to Namcol for giving them another opportunity. “This is a good opportunity for us to improve our Grade 10 and 12 results so that we can be able to better our futures. It is fair that even we in correctional facilities are not left out,” Joseph said. Joseph said he would register for three subjects and would give his full attention to improve his results so he could better his education and future prospects. Prison life Joseph said he completed matric at Onguti Senior Secondary School in the Oshikoto Region in 2006. His Grade 12 results were satisfactory and enabled him to get a job at Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital. On 31 March 2016, while under the influence of alcohol, he assaulted his father. “I regret doing it. I wish I had listened to my father… it should not have ended up like this. During the sentencing on 15 June 2016, the magistrate told me that my sentence would serve as a punishment for not listening to my father. I was and still am not a violent person, but due to alcohol I ended up beating my father,” he said. He urged fellow young Namibians not to commit crime. “Prison is not a good place to be. One happens to meet different offenders who have committed various crimes. Once you happen to engage yourself with them, your life will be destroyed because they are still planning on life after prison. For the rest of my years, I would like to keep myself busy so that after completing my sentence I can be someone in life,” he said. The officer in charge of the Oluno Correctional Facility, Commissioner Rooinasie Heinrich, said it is the offender's right to be educated while in prison. He said many offenders improve their school grades or obtain university qualifications while in prison. “All we do is to make sure that the environment is conducive for those who intend to study. We facilitate their education through responsible officials. For Joseph, the facility has registered as a Namcol examination centre. He does not have to leave the facility,” Heinrich said.ILENI NANDJATO

Prisoner receives Namcol scholarship

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Prisoner receives Namcol scholarship

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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