WINDHOEK, March 13 (Xinhua) -- On a sunny Tuesday, a beam of hope illuminates the Mariental High School in Hardap Region in the southern part of Namibia.
At a computer room of the school, student Donna Gamatham was completing a task using a desktop computer, which was part of the 10 computer sets donated by the Chinese embassy in Namibia.
For her and other learners, the donation has introduced them to a new era of studies that involved the digital mode of learning.
"Access to more computers and information communication technologies help us learn more. It complements the knowledge we acquire from the prescribed book," she said.
The donation is also set to expose learners to global developments and multi-culturalism.
"At the handover event this month, we met people from all over the world including China. We learned how to engage with other people," she added.
School principal Albertus Stein said that the new computers would address the scarcity of resources the school suffered.
"Due to limited computers, learners and teachers had to share, which decelerated progress and access to information communication technologies to all at school," he said.
Namibia's Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Katrina Hanse-Himarwa said that the ministry faces the challenge of aging information communication technologies equipment.
Since 2015, records show that no state schools received new information communication technologies equipment, and the ministry stagnated as only 24 percent of schools have information communication technologies equipment installed, according to Hanse-Himarwa.
As the Namibian government strives to integrate information communication technologies into mainstream education programmes, the Chinese embassy is harnessing information communication technologies capacity to boost education provision and improve access to inclusive education in the country.
Yang Jun, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Namibia said the donation is aimed at supporting Namibia to enhance the provision of education and advance learners' career prospects.
"Education is the key for any nation to develop. We (China) as friends of Namibia would like to give our help to Namibia in this field," Yang said.
The new donation, brings to 20, the number of desktop computers at the school.
Meanwhile, governor of the Hardap region, Esme Isaack, said the donation is testimony to the longstanding relationship between China and Namibia.
"Namibia needs educated citizenry not only towards the route to economic independence but also to achieve such national development goals. Therefore, interventions inclusive of all relevant role-players such as the Chinese embassy are critical," she said.
Mariental High School has 900 learners and 30 teachers.
The Chinese embassy established ties with the school in November 2018 when Chinese ambassador to Namibia Zhang Yiming awarded scholarships worth 20,000 Namibian dollars (around 1,390 U.S. dollars) to top performers at the school.
