The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) launched a new programme to assist schools in Ohangwena and Omusati to support their most vulnerable learners.
The HERO (Help At-Risk Orphans and Vulnerable Children) programme in Namibia was officially launched last Friday at Ekoka Combined School in the Ohangwena region. The regional education director for the Ohangwena region, Josua Undjombala, USAID Director Gary Newton and UNESCO country director Dr Claudia Harvey officiated at the event.

UNA-USA is assisting schools in Ethiopia, South Africa, Zambia and Namibia to reduce the negative impact of poverty and HIV/AIDS on children. The UNA-USA campaign, which is called HERO (Help At-Risk Orphans and Vulnerable Children), is funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) and private donations from students and other donors in the United States. The HERO programme is dedicated to helping children living in HIV/AIDS-affected communities in sub-Saharan Africa and strives to improve the lives of children who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS by providing holistic school-based support.
In Namibia, HERO works with Urban Trust of Namibia (UTN) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to support 12 pilot schools in the Ohangwena and Omusati regions. Each school is provided with a comprehensive "HERO Package" of support, divided into 2 strategic developmental stages that include feeding programs, renovation and upgrading of classrooms, installation of toilets and clean water systems, the provision of books and school resources and visits by nurses and counsellors.

A group of 12 students (11 from the US and 1 South African) called Youth Ambassadors, and 4 UNA-USA administrators arrived in Namibia this month to work with selected pilot schools and communities. The Youth Ambassadors will assist the target schools with upgrading classrooms, installing kitchens for in-school feeding programs, painting existing structures and introducing intramural programs, including art and recreation.
" The desire to educate one’s child is a goal that parents from around the world share," says HERO Special Programs Ambassador Andrea Kerzner. "This is an extremely important activity, because it is aimed at instilling in children the notion of global and social responsibility at an early age. This pilot program is an excellent vehicle to expose US teenagers to the problems facing Africa in a very real way. By working in schools and communities that have been hit hard by the HIV/AIDS crisis, these teenagers will hopefully form a life-long bond to the people and nations they are helping," said Kerzner.