San communities say poverty, discrimination, teenage pregnancy, and a lack of access to quality education continue to rob many children of their right to education.
This traps generations in a cycle of marginalisation, says Maria Garises, an Omaheke San community member.
These concerns were raised during the launch of the San Children Embrace Education Project on Tuesday. The project aims to keep members of the San community in school.
Hosted by the Women’s Leadership Centre (WLC), the project brought together participants from Omega 1, Mu’ciku, Likwaterera, and Ndama in the Kavango East region, Tsintsabis and Farm Six in the Oshikoto region, Drimiopsis in the Omaheke region, and Chaka in the Zambezi region.
Omaheke WLC coordinator Maria Garises yesterday said a lack of quality teachers who do not know the background of San communities also contribute to school dropouts.
She said most San children have not had a chance to complete their education due to the challenges they face in communities, including discrimination.
“Sometimes children are raised by relatives who make them look after their children while others go to school. San people are often seen as people who do not know what they want,” she said.
Garises said she is proud of becoming a WLC coordinator for the San community in the Omaheke region after previously being too shy to do so.
Oshikoto coordinator Louise Gaeses yesterday said the availability of grades at surrounding schools is among the challenges faced by the community.
She said the community has experienced these challenges for many years.
“Sometimes parents cannot afford to send their children to faraway places for school, forcing the children to drop out,” she said.
She listed inadequate support for marginalised communities as a contributing factor to dropping out of school.
Gaeses said the San Children Embrace Project is a powerful initiative which puts children at the centre of development and recognises that education is not only about attending school, but creating opportunities, building confidence and protecting children’s lives.
“Through this project, we hope to see more San children enrolled in schools. When San children are supported to stay in school and succeed, the entire community benefits,” she said, adding that education creates future leaders.
Ndama San community member Aulleria Muyakuyi said she joined the programme in 2019 and has since seen change and growth among the community.
She urged continuous support for the education of San people, saying the future becomes strong when people work together.
