Wolfgang Fiedler, a German citizen, together with other sponsors, handed over textbooks worth N$300,000 to Okankolo Combined School in the Oshikoto Region.

The school faced a shortage of learning materials, including laboratory equipment, before the donation.

Students from Grades 1 to 11, comprising 772 learners and 26 teachers, will use the textbooks.

The 89-year-old Fiedler, who has previously visited Namibia with his wife, said he had in the past built kindergartens for deaf and blind learners and donated school building materials. 

Speaking through an interpreter, Fiedler noted that schools in Namibia need a helping hand, which is why he has donated to over 100 schools nationwide. "I did not donate these books with the help of the government but with fellow donors because we realised that education should not only be in Germany but in Namibia as well," said Fiedler.

Oshikoto Director of Education Hilma Nuunyango-George highlighted that the learner-textbook ratio stands at 1:2, with at least two to three learners sharing books. "As a ministry, we want to reduce this ratio, and the donation of these textbooks will make this a reality," she said, urging learners to preserve the books for future students. "Baie dankie, Herr Fiedler; this country cannot thank you enough."

School principal Ngonga Daniel thanked the donors and said the textbooks will be put to good use and produce the best exam results by year's end. "The textbooks will be used by both Okankolo and Onguti secondary schools, which are just 800 m away," Daniel added.