A home away from home

Enzo Amuele
Wenjizuva ‘Hazard’Mukungu



It has always been a belief that boarding school, also known as a hostel, misleads children into undesirable habits and that the living conditions are not satisfactory, but that has not been the case for the Wennie du Plessis boys’ hostel that has been making a lot of waves in the good remarks of the Gobabis community.

Popularly known as the Drostdyhof Boys Hostel, the boarding school has broken numerous myths about what a hostel should be like.

The hostel has come a long way since the days of colonial rule and apartheid, but that has never changed the well-being and status of the hostel through the yeas to this day and age.

Though the hostel went through phases of vandalism, it managed to stand the test of time through the leadership of the different administrators of the institution over the years.

Fast forward to the present day, the hostel has been fortunate enough to be part of the government’s revamping of hostels programme which is under the leadership of Mr CC Karuaihe, the current superintendent of the hostel.

Not only has the hostel been receiving visible changes and improvements, but has also set a well-established level of discipline, respect and an overall good behaviour by the hostel boarders.

In addition, one of the other innovation programmes that was done by the Hostel Representative Council of 2019/20 was a tree-planting project.

“Being in this hostel for over two years has really opened my eyes on how to approach life and become a young confident man,” says Lebereki Edison, one of the 2019/20 hostel prefects.

Not only does Mr Karuaihe’s management of the hostel blossom, they have also fostered a good morale in the hostel and the general perception about being in a boarding school. The hostel is still undergoing some minor renovations that are mostly focused on the ablution facilities, as one of the aims is to keep the hostel clean and make it a safe place to live in during this difficult time of Covid-19.

“We are going to revamp Drostdyhof Boys Hostel so that the lads will feel at home and that’s where the famous quote ‘home away from home’ comes from,” said Mr Karuaihe in conclusion.