Ondao Mobile School, A Socio-Economic Impact Study

Background

The Project was first proposed in a Desk Study by Bernt H. Lund carried out in 1995 and seems to have been based on a preliminary idea and discussion paper by Hans Hvidsten of NAMAS. The main justification was to provide educational opportunities to children of nomadic and semi-nomadic Owahimba people similar to children in other parts of the country which have educational facilities geared to their local societies.

In the Kunene region the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture together with NAMAS have therefore developed a mobile school, known as the Ondao Mobile School Project. This is geared to the needs of the local nomadic communities and is designed to ensure that schoolchildren can also take part in the economic life of their communities. This means a school on the move and this also puts considerable demands on the teachers' flexibility.

The school now has over 30 mobile units educating over 3,000 children in grades 1 to 5, with 70 teachers in a large area (maybe 3,000 km2) up to 150 kms from the town of Opuwo. It is estimated that an additional 1,500 children in the area do not have access to school

Purpose/objective

The objective of the Impact Assessment Study is to identify the role of the mobile school in the Owahimba and Owazemba society. How the school project has affected their daily life, the mode of production and the social and cultural traditions including gender relations will be assessed.

Methodology

In order to assess the Project's impact, the Study shall be divided into three parts as follows:

• Desk Study of the project, background documents and comparative studies on nomadic education from the Internet and review of literature
• Field Visit to the Kunene Region
• Report drafting and discussion with NAMAS
It should be said at the outset that the consultants' methodology will be participatory. In a study like this frequent and frank exchanges of views/ideas/ proposals are essential. The consultants will therefore put forward theories and hypotheses based on the fieldwork, and discuss these with the students, the teachers and the authorities. In this way they should receive feedback which will improve the professional quality of the work. It is considered very important that the consultants make a verbal presentation of their initial findings/ conclusions to a meeting of the Steering Committee on the conclusion of their fieldwork. The idea is to test out hypotheses/proposals with the Committee and then to develop those which seem to be the most feasible. If possible the final report and its findings should be the product of consensus so that recommendations are readily implementable.

Key findings

The Report states that, despite many practical difficulties, the School has been a success in achieving its main objectives, that is in providing basic education to the majority of the Ovahimba children, one of the most educationally marginalised groups in Namibia. It had done so by developing the school sensitively in line with local cultural traditions.

Recommendations

The study recommends further support to the Ondao School. The school should improve the gender awareness in the project. A English Language adviser should be employed. More information on the project should be disseminated.

Comments from the organisation

In January 2006 an adviser in English will start working with the Ondao School and the other schools in northern Kunene. We have also applied for support for another three years in connection with education in Kunene.