Boulter donates textbooks to underpriviledged learners
• By Courage Musariri
With only one textbook for a teacher to share with over 400 learners at the Kephas Muzuma Combined School, British-Namibian businessman, Harvey Boulter came to the rescue of the needy school in the remote village of Kamanjab with textbooks worth N$50 000. Boulter enlisted the services of Hakahana Commercial Printers to provide textbooks to the needy school in the Otjokovara village in the Kamanjab area where he is a patron for the school.
Boulter, besides the textbooks, built a computer lab and had a fibre internet installed at the school.
He has been providing the school with other necessities such as food essentials for learners on a regular basis.
His philantrophy work also extends to covering administrative needs of the school.
“We used to make photocopies of the only History textbook we had. These textbooks come in handy to enhance our quality of learning and improve the pass rate of the school,” said school principal Thobias Hilotoka
Hakahana Commercial Printers, managing director, Max Hamata invited other corporations to join in making education more affordable.
“I was astounded to learn that the school had only one history and agriculture textbook and that a teacher had to photocopy textbooks for students.
“Government cannot do it alone; let us work together to make education more affordable for African children. Many thanks to Boulter for responding to the call to assist the Kephas Muzuma Combined School,” Hamata said.
According to Boulter, the inspiration to support the school came in 2011 when he asked to be taken to a nearby school while on holiday there.
“When I arrived at the school, I was touched to see students queuing in the open to receive lunch, and the one thing that moved my heart was seeing the last ten students not receiving their lunch because the food had run out.
“I immediately devised a plan to build a dining hall for the school so pupils could eat properly. On occasion, my team provides the school with additional necessities such as meat, maize meal, cooking oil, and other necessities as requested,” he explained.
According to the millionaire businessman, children are dear to his heart and assisting them gives him the most joy.
“I’ve travelled the world and seen people who have everything they want but don’t appreciate it, but here you have people who have nothing literally and appreciate whatever you can give them. I’ve often been asked what I intend to gain from participating in these social responsibility initiatives. I’ve already gotten what I want. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a youngster happy and smiling, because their grin and pleasure are pure. What a smiling child gives back cannot be compared to anything; and for that, I will continue to assist in any way I can,” he stated.
Boulter came close to tears when the Grade 11 students, led by the school’s head boy, Nico Nambueya, read a poem titled “Passion”, thanking him for all he has done for them.
Apart from the feeding programme and the construction of a dining hall, Boulter purchased eight computers and had a N$100 000 Fibre Internet connection installed at the school by Telecom Namibia.
Kephas Muzuma Chief Matron Jacqueline Ndjavera said Boulter had taken the school to another level by purchasing laptops, building a dining hall, and installing WI-FI.
“Our dining hall used to be a corrugated house but thanks to his assistance, we now have a beautiful dining hall. We value his assistance; as you can see, the students are all smiles when he is there. He gives us a reason to smile; you can see how pleased everyone is, because our Father is present.
He also assisted in fencing out the girls’ dormitories and occasionally provides us food deliveries, for both students and teachers,” she said.
Head girl, Tjomazeva Vateurirua, reiterated Ndjavera’s comments, saying the new textbooks will assist students in their studies.
“We appreciate the textbooks. We struggled most of the time since we had to use the books for a restricted amount of time, but now we will all have our own. This is a fantastic motivator, and we are grateful for the kind donation. We will work hard to make him proud and succeed in our exams,” she stated.
Last year, Boulter assisted the school in organising a football and netball competition in which 15 local schools participated, and planning for this year’s tournament is well underway, with a budget of N$30 000 put aside.
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