A year in the life of Maltas 2018 members

JUSTISIA SHIPENA
Since the inception of Maltas in 2011, students from various universities auditioned to secure a year’s membership in the club. This year’s dynamic and vibrant team kicked off their boot camp at Gross Barman late in March.

After numerous head-on challenges, it was time to say goodbye to some of the nominees as a brand-new team was inaugurated in a lavish Vegas-themed ceremony at the prestigious Namibia University Of Science and Technoloy (Nust) Hotel School on 17 April. This year’s awards ceremony was graced by the vice-president, Nangolo Mbumba, who has also been the patron of Maltas since 2011.

The new team received a lifetime opportunity to do monthly visits at the cancer ward at Windhoek Central Hospital, and speak to high school learners (including Namcol) about the importance of staying in school and finishing their school career successfully. In addition, the 2018 team collected sanitary towels with the support of numerous organisations, personal friends and acquaintances.

This year, without a doubt, the team raised the bar by collecting more sanitary towels than any other team was able. These products will be handed over to the Eluwa Special School, Helvi Kondombolo School (Nambinga) and the Omagalanga Primary School in Oshikuku in February 2019. Each team member was photographed by renowned photographers, Come Namibia Photographers, to develop their personal portfolio for Maltas and beyond.

Except for the national trips, the team was whisked off to Cape Town for an official visit to the prestigious University of Stellenbosch. There the team learned more about educational best practices that make the Stellenbosch University such a successful educational institution. In addition, the team also got a chance to learn more about the production of wine in South Africa (at the breathtaking Spier Wine Estate) and lessons on how to drink responsibly.

Tuyeni Abisalom, Maltas’ community development manager, said this was a year which was very different for her compared to any other.

She added that the club afforded her the opportunity to discover her identity, and she developed soft skills which no textbook will ever teach her. Above all she learned how to work in a team. As an education student at the International University of Management, she narrated from the scholarly works of a renowned behavioural theorist, that although group formation can lead to “social loafing”, this was not even an option for her. Now that the year has ended, there is still one more international trip to Las Vegas which the team will embark upon in mid-January 2019. In addition, the alumni from 2011 to 2018 will launch their own official book club in March 2019.

Daniel Ileni Itenge the chairman of the Maltas Club Namibia would like to thank all the sponsors of the club who made this year an unforgettable one.