ICT hub uplifts Otjimbingwe community

The Otjimbingwe community no longer has to travel nearly 100km to Karibib for computer services following the establishment of a new information and communication technology (ICT) hub at Otjimbingwe Primary School.

The hub was donated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and provides residents with free Wi-Fi.

“I used to spend N$100 on a taxi to go to Karibib to type my CV, but now we use the ICT hub,” says Debora Vries (27).

In total, the hub has 16 computers, four available for community use and 12 for pupils.

Otjimbingwe Primary School principal Johannes !Nowaseb, who previously helped pupils using his personal computer, has commended the initiative, saying it improved efficiency.

“Pupils would usually take two hours to complete tasks they could finish in 20 minutes. We look forward to more computer training and sponsorship,” he adds.

UNDP deputy resident representative for Namibia Christian Shingiro says the project aims to empower the Otjimbingwe community.

“We believe innovation can happen anywhere, and it is important for remote towns to be empowered,” he says.

One of the computer skills trainees, Bernahard Uirab, adds that the community is motivated, with lessons offered twice a week.

“We hope to establish a separate structure away from the school to accommodate those in the settlement,” he says.

Otjimbingwe resident Wycleff Pius says the hub has made access to information easier and more direct.
“We used to rely on people coming from Karibib or Windhoek to get updates.”

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