Help Kids in Namibia Escape Poverty – But not Poor Fashion Choices – Through Education

In 2007 in northern Namibia, I coached Canisianum (Kuh-knee-see-ann-um) High School’s first-ever debate squad. The team was full of crazy personalities, such as Inamutila Kahipi, whose name meant “I am not afraid.” Inamutila lived up to his name but never took himself too seriously. For example, when I first met him at the Valentine’s Day dance, he arrived wearing a full-length leather coat over a white t-shirt and sported a single glove, like a hip-hop Namibian Michael Jackson.

His opposite was Miriam, the team co-captain. She prepared for debates with a ferocity and thoroughness that could only mean she was headed for a career in law. The team did well, winning both local and regional competitions. Miriam and Inamutila were selected to represent our region in the national competitions, which was a big feather in Canisianum’s cap.


Through the debates, I met students from all around northern Namibia. Our competitors made me realize what a special school Canisianum was. Whereas our students used English to inform, persuade and inspire, students from competing schools still struggled to piece together coherent sentences. While my students researched debate topics in the student-run library, students at other schools lacked basic reference materials like encyclopedias and textbooks.

That split is still evident today on the national exams. Canisianum’s pass rate in 2009 was over 95%; neighboring schools were well below 50%. These exams are required to advance to college. As a result, poor grades usually mean the end of a student’s academic career and the beginning of a life of subsistence farming. In contrast, attending Canisianum markedly improves a young child’s chances of success due to its rigorous teaching, high standards and unique management structure.

Unfortunately, many of the eager students in the region cannot afford to pay Canisianum’s fees of about US$100 per year. Just think about that: in America, you’re lucky if $100 pays for books and school supplies for a semester. In Namibia, it gets a student a top-notch education for a year, and a very good chance at qualifying for one of Namibia’s three universities. With your help, more Namibian children can have this chance.

Think about donating now to help give kids like those in the picture a quality education. A $100 donation pays for an entire year of school for a poor child, but even $25 makes a difference. All donations are tax-deductible!

The goal is to raise $5,000 to establish a permanent scholarship endowment at the school, and we’re already 1/3 of the way there! When I return to Namibia this September I’ll be setting up the scholarship in coordination with the school and the US-based nonprofit, WorldTeach. Donations can be made online via WorldTeach/PayPal or via mail by sending a check to:

WorldTeach
c/o Center for International Development
Harvard University
79 John F. Kennedy St., Box 122
Cambridge, MA 02138.

Your donation should be made out to "WorldTeach." Please make sure to write “Namibia-Canisianum Scholarship,” in the memo field, and thanks.

If you have any questions about this scholarship endowment or Canisianum RCHS, please write me at joshua.kaufmann.72@gmail.com. If you would like to learn more about Canisianum, many stories on this blog, Outapi Odyssey focus on school life.