Grade 1 class receives hope

The first-graders of the Green Leaves Primary School in the Okahandja Park informal settlement recently had some of their dreams fulfilled.
ELIZABETH JOSEPH
Elizabeth Joseph



Many Namibian children go to school without shoes or so much as a meal to get them through the day. The children of Green Leaves are all too well acquainted with that.

PricewaterhouseCoopers and their partners saw this need and handed over a donation of N$50 000 to the school’s first-graders. Each child received a school bag containing a pair of school shoes and stationery.

The children’s happiness was a sight to behold. The headmaster, Chanville Mackrill, said although the school is in the heart of an informal settlement, the pupils’ performance is on par with any other government school.

“If you come back here three months from now, you will be able to test these kids on any level as you would any other school and they will be able to perform.

“Most parents are either security guards or domestic workers and their income level is often at the lowest end of the spectrum. The level of our teachers and education is far above that of an informal settlement,” he said.

The PwC team got down and dirty preparing the bags for every single child.

The head of operations for PwC Namibia, Carl van der Merwe, said he hoped to see more children attending school because attendance is of the utmost importance.

The company hopes the donation will lighten the burden that these children have to bear.

PwC is a Namibian firm with global links; committed to helping clients meet the challenges posed by the global economy. Their purpose is to build trust in the Namibian society and to solve important problems for the Namibian business community as well as community members.