RCE-Hardap Region

Statement
“THE GREATEST TEST OF COURAGE ON EARTH IS TO BEAR DEFEAT WITHOUT LOSING HEART”   -R.G. Ingersoll-

Description

The Hardap Region has two main towns namely Mariental and Rehoboth.  Mariental hosts the Regional offices of all the line Ministries.  The biggest dam in Namibia, the Hardap Dam is in Mariental.  One of the biggest rivers, the Fish River runs through this Region.  Mariental is also known as the Ostrich Town of the South as Ostrich farming originated here.  The biggest Accacia tree park is found just south of Rehoboth.  The landscape is mainly made up of the Kalahari Desert in the east, the Namib Desert in the west and the Savannah Highlands in the centre.  Mariental is well known for it’s floods especially when Namibia receives a high percentage of rain. 

Important Facts and Figures

GENERAL:

The Hardap Education Region is unfortunate not to have a RACE Coordinator on board but fortunate enough to have dynamic and committed RACE committee members that, over and above their line functions are also actively engaged in RACE activities.

World Aids Day was commemorated on the 1st of December 2005 when all the schools have already closed for learners. Yet a large number of teachers and some learners of the Aids Awareness Clubs turned up resulting in a huge success.  Teachers were astounded when the devastating proportions of Aids infections in Namibia was presented to them.  We are convinced that all of them were  motivated anew to intensify the fight against this devastating pandemic.

MY FUTURE MY CHOICE

Five facilitators have been trained by Unicef, but a lack of vehicles and human resources makes if difficult to maintain the implementation.  The MFMC Coordinator was appointed elsewhere and the Chairperson of RACE has now also to perform his functions.  Hopefully the position will be filled in the near future.

WINDOW OF HOPE

In each of the 47 schools in the region offering Grades 4-7 a facilitator has been trained while it is envisaged that at least 44 will be trained during the course of this year to offer Senior Windows.

PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS

We have noticed with concern that Educations offices for HIV and AIDS will only be appointed in the former 7 education regions.  Already some education regions like Hardap are in a disadvantaged position in that we neither possess a RACE vehicle nor a Race Coordinator.  It is hoped that HAMU will soon provide in these needs in order for RACE in the Hardap Region to go from strength to strength.