Mr & Miss UNAM crowned

Issue 3 August 2015

Remain true to culture – Governor Mcleod-Katjirua

UNAM students’ card has new look, new feel and

more functionality

The Jury is hung on ARTICLE 31

Early childhood development programme builds teachers’ capacity and Aids childhood

development

The Loud Mouth

Aunty Knows Best

Around and About Campuses

Caution!! Unam Sudents: cough syrup + soft Drink = Danger

Importance of a goodnights’ sleep

!Graphic Designer:Indongo Ndinelago

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UNAM ECHO IS THE TRAINING PUBLICATION OF THE MEDIA SECTION, DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA.

EDITORIAL ADVISERS: PROF ENO AKPABIO DR FRED MWILIMA

EDITOR: PAUL MUNANJALA (paulmuna@live.com)

THIS IS A STUDENT PUBLICATION HENCE THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE STRICTLY THOSE OF THE STUDENTS AND DO NOT REPRESENT THAT OF THE DEPART-MENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA

C NTENTS Letter from the EditorRemain true to culture – Governor Mcleod-Katjirua

UNAM students’ card has new look, new feel and more functionality The Jury is hung on ARTICLE 31Early childhood development programme builds teachers’ capacity and AIDS childhood development MR and Miss UNAM crownedNews Analysis In my considered viewThe Loud Mouth Cultural Festival Photo SplashAunty Knows Best Around and About CampusesCartoon Caution!! Unam Sudents: cough syrup + soft Drink = DangerImportance of a goodnights’ sleep The Coffee Table: Frans JMotivation Sports

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MAKE THIS HAPPEN

from the Editor’s desk

its about learning new concepts

in life

Empowering Minds :-)

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Paul Munanjala

Corrections

In the May edition, we inadvertently credited the story written by Tuyakula Shivute titled “Tankiso: Up and coming makeup artist” to

Tove Jeomba Kangotue. The error is regretted. Editor

Greetings Dear Readers

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this edition of UNAM Echo. It is the first edition since we started our second semester and we are very encouraged and motivated by your response. I would like to implore you all to continue giving us support in carrying this publication forward.

There are many sections in this edition that you will find interesting. I have received questions from people who have asked me if they can write stories for the publication. I would like to inform you that you can forward your stories to my email address - paulmuna@live.com and also CC eakpabio@unam.na. It is important that we focus on issues surrounding our university as this is what UNAM Echo is all about.

A lot has already happened so far as the semester continues to progress. There are new student cards, a beauty pageant for all the UNAM campusesnationwide, the cultural festival and not forgetting the much anticipated spring break which I am sure everyone will enjoy.

Thank you to our hardworking team for all the effort they have put in and making sure we all have something to smile about at the end of the day. Remember students, push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. Let us all make huge strides in our academic work and social activities in order to create a conducive environment for growth. Enjoy the magazine.

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The University of Namibia (UNAM) students will now be able to use their newly-issued stu-dent identity cards as pre-paid debit cards and more.

Off campus, the cards can be used at partici-pating retailers such Pick n Pay stores, Beukes Spar in Khomasdal and at all stores with Bank Windhoek speed points, said Stefanie Hanes, Call Centre Operator of the Nam-mic Payment Solutions.

The card allows students and staff get dis-counts by providing the card when purchases are made at selected stores, including the UNAM Grub, UNAM Dining Hall, Von Schalk bookshop and Independence Take Away. Se-lected stores off campus include Pick ‘n Pay, Biltong Empire, Mr. X-Haust Mr. Tyre, Swiss-garde and many more, Joseph Nitzborn, the coordinator of Nam-mic said.

The student card can be used to book accom-modation at Umti Lodge and buy airtime both at a 5%, discount, fuel up at selected service stations and purchase pre-paid electricity by linking the card to their cell phones, Hanes said. Internet banking such as transfers is also available but only from Nam-mic to Nam-mic accounts.

According to Hanes, “the Student Card is an initiative from South Africa aimed at making life easier for students by providing endless benefits for them.” Continuing, she notes that “the student card is also a discount card, offer-ing special savings at stores for students. Each time a student uses his/her card at participat-ing stores they will get a discount which is deposited into their account at the beginning of each month.”

The student cards can be used on campus to gain access to buildings, tests and examina-tions as well as pay for meals and books.

The process of distributing the student cards kicked off in the first week of the second se-mester at the main campus in Windhoek. The distribution process has now been extended to the remaining UNAM campuses as well as the regions.

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Remain true to culture – Governor Mcleod-Katjirua

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The governor of the Khomas region, Mrs. Laura Mcleod-Katjirua, urged students to hold on to their cultural heritage even with the present fast-paced evolution of culture noting that the University of Namibia cannot be successful without having to tap into the cultural diversity of its community.

Governor Mcleod-Katjirua was speaking when she officially declared open UNAM’s 2015 Cultural Festival which had the theme “Cultural Diversity in the Global Village”.

She stressed that the theme is befitting the University since it role is to train, shape and mold students into becoming responsible adults.

Traditional cultural troupes showcased different dances to the delight of the audience during the occasion.

By Petrina Shivute

UNAM STUDENTS’ CARD HAS NEw LooK, NEw fEEL AND

MoRE fUNCTIoNALITy:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

By Beaulah Boois and Petrina Shivute

Tuuliki Amunyela, Bachelor of Arts: Psychology student was amongst the first to receive the new UNAM student card

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Confucius Institute opens doors to studying in China

By Liita Anghuwo

At the Confucius Institute‘s focus forum held recently students who are willing to learn Mandarin and further their studies in China were encouraged to enrol with the institute as it is a ticket to most institu-tions in China.

To make contact with the institute easier, it now has a consultation office at N Block, Room 111 that is staffed with personnel that are assigned to attend to various enquiries.

The University of Namibia (UNAM) Confucius Institute was established in 2012.

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By Aina Kweyo

Namibia won the rights to host the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) southern hemisphere

project which will be deployed at two observatories.

Students from the law faculty at the University of Namibia have taken differing posi-tions on Article 31 of the Namibian constitution.

Some students expressed their dissatisfaction about the article that frees the head of state (the president) from all civil and criminal proceedings while in office reasoning that everything illegal becomes legal to him or her.

Pius Iikwambi, a law student, said that in a democratic country we should all be equal before the law, and no one should be above the law regardless of their office.

However, some students spoke in favour of the Article, saying it is a reasonable one. “Yes of course it fair”, said Barros Nangolo, a law student. “The reason why the presi-dent is immune from all criminal proceedings while in office is because some crimes might be committed in his/her capacity as president and not necessarily in his capacity as a Namibian citizen.”

Nangolo added that the rationale behind this Article is basically to allow the president to freely exercise his power without fear and protect him from criminal proceedings which are likely to tarnish the country’s image. And that this is also a way of preserving order.

A lecturer who asked to remain anonymous said that all laws are designed to maintain order in society. “We cannot have a president on trial”, the anonymous source said. “This will cause chaos.”

The telescopes have the ability to observe many objects at once or focus intently on one which will make CTA the most sensitive gamma ray observatory and undoubtedly the biggest project in Namibia and the world at large said Dr. Riaan Steenkamp, the chair of the National Space Science Council (NSSC) which is a scientific advisory council of the National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST) and head of physics department at the University of Namibia.

The high profile project will include scientists from 28 countries, a technical professional team and cabinet as a whole, said Steen-kamp.

“There is machine learning”, said Dr Michael Backes, UNAM physics lecturer. “Scientists can learn from one another, computation and statistic skills and a whole lot of data processed to compare and analyse”.

Elaborating on the choice of Namibia, Steen-kamp said that “Namibia has the best site in the world”. The site which is situated at Aar has the perfect height (1.6km a.s.i) for opti-mal performances. In addition, the country is politically and economically stable with very low natural hazards such as storms. Namibia is one of the darkest regions of the subcontinent and the geomagnetic field over southern Africa is lower than that of South America, which was also in contention for the project.

According to Steenkamp, the CTA project will give us a deeper understanding of the uni-verse, the galaxy and space physics in gen-eral. It also increases the profile UNAM and that of the country. It will serve as an open observatory to the wider astrophysics com-munity and will provide a deeper insight into the non-thermal high-energy universe.CTA is an initiative to build the next genera-tion ground-based very high energy gamma-ray instrument.

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The Jury is hung on ARTICLE 31

By Goodwill Domingues

Namibia hosts the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Project

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The early childhood development and lower primary programme at UNAM sensitises teachers to the stages of development of children so that they can engage them in age-appropriate learning and physical activities that would boost their total development.

The childhood programme was initiated by the Faculty of Education to train and empower teachers facilitating preliminary writing skills to exercise extra patience, especially at the lower primary stage where children gain in height and weight so that by the age of five years they have increased their birth weight five times and doubled their birth height, said Job Hengari, lecturer in Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Namibia.

According to Hengari, play is the dominant activity and children usually play ceaselessly which contributes to the developments of their muscles. Therefore, physical activities are encouraged as they cannot be expected to sit still for prolonged periods. Activity is, in fact, the characteristic of every living organism and when activity stops the organism dies.

Continuing, Hengari said that the provision of activities in art, craft, physical exercises and games are just as important in the intellectual development of children, as are more formal lessons in the teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic.

“The key word here is variety and the early childhood school teacher particularly must learn how to take her cues from the children themselves and change the activity when the need for change arises”, Hengari said. “It is advisable that teachers should also realize the importance of activity and manipulation of play in the teaching-learning process and in the development of intelligence, so children learn not by telling but by doing.” The early childhood development and lower primary programme was launched a few years ago at the University of Namibia.

EARly ChIlDhOOD DEvElOPMEnT PROgRAMME buIlDs TEAChERs’ CAPACITy

AnD AIDs ChIlDhOOD DEvElOPMEnT

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>by Alfred Titus

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By Vistorina Uugwanga

Transport issues have become a serious concern at the University of Namibia (UNAM) as students from Katutura who make up the majority of passengers find it hard to get taxis to and from school.

According to a group of students who prefer to remain anonymous, their colleagues who live in Academia, Pioneerspark and the city centre tend to be given priority by taxi drivers while those from Katutura are forced to stand at the taxi rank for hours, hoping someone will come to their rescue.

They noted that students from that part of town only get transport after everyone else has been dropped off. This is because most of these taxi drivers are from Katutura, so they delib-erately ignore the students going to this location until they make their final trips; thus killing two birds with one stone.

Taxi drivers on their part, claim that the N$20 that is authorised fare for the trip is not worth the drive noting that the University is some distance from the city centre, making it hard for them to make a profit from students coming from the suburbs.

“UNAM is so far from Katutura and we can’t drive that far during busy periods otherwise we will lose a lot of money,” A taxi driver said.

To address this issue, an agreement was reached between UNAM and City of windhoek that resulted in the allocation of ten municipal buses to the university in order to make students’ lives easier. But this seems not to have solved the problem

UNAM Students from Katutura vent their frustration on the

Transport situation

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Ministry of Health reaches an agreement with UNAM’s Medical School on Practical Training

The Ministry of Health and Social Services and the University of Namibia’s School of Medicine have entered into an agreement that enables students gain experience in both urban and rural areas.

According to the school’s Head of Department, Dr Matthias Adorka, the agreement is geared towards providing students with the necessary exposure to the industry as well as catering for patients’ needs and providing better health services to the community.

“Students have to go for their attachments in remote areas of the country for a period of one month”, Adorka said. “Then students are placed back in the capital city.’’

In an interview with the UNAM Echo, a first year medical student Thabani Matambo said “this is actually an advantage to the students as well as the labour market as the students gain experience from this sort of program.”

A female pharmacy student, Tafadzwa Man-gombe is relieved that the course is not domi-nated by male students. She notes that there about 31 female students hence giving the female folks the opportunity to pursue their career and acquire skills for the labour market.

The school of Medicine is said to be one of the leading institutes that equips its students with professional health skills, knowledge and prac-tice that is in accord with the needs of society since its establishment in 2012.

By Howard B. Sibanda

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Students studying biological sciences at UNAM have commended the practical nature of the course and how it sensitises them to environmental issues.

“Biological sciences is about studying the environment and it involves knowing how living things interact with non-living things, Sweetheart Albinus, a student said. “We want to un-derstand nature, so we look at what animals need in order for them to survive and further-more, we look at what could have happened if there is no food for animals to survive”.

To a first year Biology student, Taimi Haihonya, it is the experiments that she finds very in-teresting. “We have so far carried out practicals and experiments on food testing to estab-lish whether it contains fats or carbohydrates”, she said.

Biological Sciences is a department in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Namibia. The department offers Marine biology, Micro-Biology among other programmes.

Students enthused by Biological Sciences

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By Jovita Shete

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Pharmacy Students want to develop their communities

of originBy Nghikuma Ndakwenonghwe Unam School of pharmacy lecture buildings.

Students at the UNAM School of Pharmacy say that they want to work in their communities of origin once they have completed their studies.

According to Nekulilo Magano Shikongo, a student at the School of pharmacy she would definitely want to go back and work in oshakati community, where she grew up, so as to help her people, because she feels that her expertise would be the greatest contribution she can of-fer to the community.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Moses Tikukutu a second year pharmacy student. Ti-kukutu said that, in his area of origin, Divundu, not a single pharmacy exists. This is what led him to study pharmacy in the first place as he will be able to assist his community. “I saw that the need for pharmacy in Namibia is high,” he said. “The demand is high and I see this as an opportunity to make a difference in my community and country at large.”

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By Petrina Shivute

Miss School of Medicine Campus, Hazel !Gurus-oas, took home the Miss UNAM 2015 crown while Mr. UNAM Main Campus, Tove Kangotue, won the coveted Mr. UNAM 2015 from a field of 20 students repre-senting all of the institution’s campuses.

Runners up were freddy Samuntu (Neudamm Campus) and Shalom Phiri (Neudamm Campus). Kelsey Sibata from School of Medicine Campus clinched 2nd Prince position while Hileni Nakale from main cam-pus was 2nd Princess.

The pageant which took place at the UNAM main campus’ Gym Hall was hosted by Ashwyn Mberi and Tan-yaradzwa Daringo.

female face of Main Campus 2015: Curves is the new Skinny

By Sharon Zaaruka

Hileni Nakale’s emergence as female face of Main Campus 2015 is redefining the traditional perception of beauty.

Curvaceous Hileni took home the coveted crown beating her more taller and slender opponents who would qualify for the status of ‘models’ going by the contemporary definition of beauty.

Even though pundits claim that Hileni’s emergence is a publicity stunt, the voluptuous beauty’s win gives a glimmer of hope to us short and plum girls who have dreams of being ‘models’.

The question that remains on most minds is whether curves is the new skinny? we will have to wait and see how it turns out on in the battle ground of the MISS UNAM 2015.

In a related development, Tove Jeomba emerged as the Male face of Main Campus 2015.

for now, I will be discarding my jogging shoes and proudly singing along to Meghan Trainor’s ‘I am all about that bass’ as I root for Hileni to go all the way and clinch the Miss UNAM 2015 crown.

Left to right: Male face of Main Campus 2015, Tove Jeomba and female face of Main Cam-pus 2015, Hileni Nakale

Mr and Miss UNAM crowned

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Transport has been an issue for stu-dents at UNAM these past few years. As UNAM is located in the outskirts of windhoek, student who reside in the informal settlements find it very hard and financially challeng-ing to get reliable transport to and from UNAM on weekdays. Many taxi drivers who operate at UNAM refuse to offer transport services to students who reside in informal settlements as they believe that it’s a long distance to drive to Katutura.

They argue that, they would rather offer transport services to students who reside near UNAM, like Poin-erspark, Academia, Rocky Crest, Hochland Park, Dorado Park, Cimbebasia and those who reside in town. Those students are given first priority by taxi drivers. To drive this point home, one of the taxi drivers said, “I can’t waste time and petrol to transport students to informal set-tlements, while I can instead double the money by transporting the stu-dents who live around UNAM and its environs”.

In an effort to alleviate the transport problems, an agreement was reached between UNAM and City of wind-hoek, to transport students from UNAM to Katutura.

The sticking point is that students cannot rely on Municipality buses, as their pick-up times clash with their time tables. They also com-plain that the buses are not safe and reliable.

Helena Juuso, a third year student voiced her frustration “Since I started studying at UNAM in 2013, I have been struggling with trans-port to and from UNAM as I live in Havana with my uncle. I have to walk long distances to get to the taxi rank or bus stop. I have to stay there waiting for a taxi, and that taxi will take me to town, then I have to get another taxi from town to UNAM”.

It is clear that most students find it difficult to get taxis that will trans-port them to UNAM directly.

Also, paying double the regular fare for taxis from Katutura to UNAM is difficult for disadvantaged families who do not have regular incomes.

Most students, therefore, are forced to rely on private cars.

Unfortunately, these cars are not completely safe and reliable as this might expose students to rape, rob-bery or kidnapping.

Transport issues at UNAM have be-come a major concern, not only for Helena, but for many students.

Some students argue that when taxis or buses transport them in the evening, they are dropped off at the nearest taxi rank or bus stop, which is usually far from their homes and which makes them vulnerable to robbery as they come to campus with their laptops, cell phones and tablets.

Even though the University re-sponded to this matter, by signing an agreement with City of wind-hoek to transport students to and from UNAM, it appears this is not enough. Hence, the UNAM Trans-port Management urgently needs to intervene and review the transport situation for the safety and wellbeing of students.

nEWsAnAlysIs

A crying need for reliable transport

for UNAM students

By VistorinaUugwanga

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The faculty of Science at the University of Namibia has embarked on a new project that is expected to extend its laboratory services to the public at large.

This initiative has been applauded by students who see it as hands-on and practical. Shitenda Ali-Talishi, a second year Biochemistry student says that she is excited about this big move by the university because students will gain experiences which will enhance their knowledge. “It is a good idea be-cause Chemistry and Biochemistry students will be prepared for the market through lab practicals”, she added.

A lecturer from the department who spoke on condition of anonymity told UNAM Echo that while this project is a pilot study, it is also a good way to encourage students to work hard since the department holds an annual award ceremony meant to reward students who are outstanding.

“This will motivate students to pull up their socks and be rewarded at the end of the year”, the anonymous source said noting that apart from bring-ing lab services to the public at an affordable price, the laboratories will also be self-sustaining in the sense that funds raised from rendered services will be used to maintain the facilities and equipment needed for their continued functioning.

UNAM to open Labs to the Public

By Chimwemwe Zulu

?Undamuje Hambira

The beginning of the year 2015 brought about a surprising change at the Uni-versity of Namibia (UNAM) main campus.

The change was rebranding of UNAM with the University’s old logo replaced with a new one; with the former becoming the Coat of Arms while the latter is to be used for marketing and promotional purposes. This is something very much necessary needed.

The new logo at first glance is not too complicated yet it carries a strong mean-ing to it. The majority of students were confused about the meaning of the symbols on the logo; up until just recently.

The elements symbolize; “the sun as a strong reminder of the origin of the University and is an iconic link to the country’s flag. The book with open pages speaks to the opening of one’s mind and is a graphic reminder of the freedom of knowledge and the power of enlightenment and finally the overwhelming colour red represents the vitality and courage of the people of Namibia, the iconic Namibian dunes and the strength of the University of Namibia.”

The motivation and inspiration communicated in the logo is amazing and we should all see and be proud that the rebranding exercise took place when it did.

On UNAM’s rebranding

effort

Lloyd winini

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OPInIOns

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No INTERNET foRyoUR EDUCATIoN

Lloyd winini

Imagine trying to submit your assignment via email, but the internet is tripping or is offline and better still you are at UNAM’s main campus, where the internet is “supposed to be sharp, sharp!”

Most students are complaining that the wi-fi and the modems issued by MTC don’t work. Not only that, but also some sites that are needed for our research are blocked. TELECoM provides the wi-fi and MTC provides the students with Modems to use at home.

As the rest of the country argues about who has faster internet; TELECoM or MTC? Here at UNAM, we try and figure out who provides the worst internet service. Even our Intranet is horrible on campus, as sometimes students can barely open the UNAM portal.

It’s hard to defend these two service providers, let alone see things from their point of view. But, let’s give it a go.websites that provide visual content or have large webpages are blocked so that each student has enough bandwidth to surf the internet. These sites were blocked because some students abuse the internet and stream irrelevant material.

The system administrator at the computer centre, who uses one of our MTC issued modems, claims that his modem has been working for the last three months, whilst the SRC for Academic affairs says his modem hasn’t worked since the beginning of the year.

Since, this is an opinion piece I will do the honour-able thing and be biased in favour of your agenda, which is to tell you the truth and tell you what my investigation unravelled.

first of all, there are around 14,000 students at UNAM’s main campus and the TELECoM wi-fi system is barely holding its own with less than 4,000 logins per day. word is, they are probably going to add more routers, but knowing UNAM, it will first of all, take forever and the network will still probably reach only 5,000 students.

Another fact is that students pay N$500 dollars per year to MTC for those Modems. These Modems have not worked all year. UNAM paid round about N$7,000,000 to MTC for these useless Modems this year alone. Do you feel cheated? I know, I do.

My point is; in this information age, where do these three organisations (UNAM, MTC and TELECoM), think we will get the information we need to get good grades? The University should expect mediocrity for giving us mediocre learning resources.

They do not understand the vast knowledge that we get from online documents. They don’t under-stand that education is evolving and the internet is a knowledge sanctuary. It is their Job, therefore, to ensure that these service providers give us a fair chance to a decent education.

There is nothing I can do but echo my sentiments to you.

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ThE lOuD MOuTh

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Q. How is it that a guy can have three girlfriends and it’s perceived as normal yet I can’t have two boyfriends without society calling me names? If we are going to go with the gender equality thingy, then I am supposed to do what he is doing.

A. Since the beginning of time, men could do as they wish while imposing limits on women’s behaviours and actions. However, times have changed and women are taking charge of their lives and succeeding on their own without the help of the men. You cannot have two boyfriends in the name of gender equality. As a woman, you need to value and respect yourself enough to not stoop so low by doing what he is doing. Remember that what other people think of you or say behind your back is none of your business. The most important thing is how you see yourself.

Q. I am a foreign student that would one day like to stand for an SRC position, but Namibian students are not always in favour for a foreign leader.

A I commend your interest in public service. But don’t forget that democracy is a game of numbers. At the end of the day, everyone has the freedom to choose who they want to see in the SRC council. It is all about what a candidate can offer to the electorate (students) and how they market themselves.

Q. Can someone that is not part of the magazine class also write articles that can be featured? If yes, how?

A. Yes they can. First you write the article, then you submit it to the editor of UNAM Echo, who is Paul Munanjala. You can email your stories to him using his email address paulmuna@live.com or alternatively to Prof E Akpabio (eakpabio@unam.na)

Q. I lost my mom 6 years ago. My dad, from nowhere, introduced a girl that’s about my age that he wants to marry. This girl was in my intake; only different schools. All she did is get fat and begin to run after big men with money. She’s 24years old for Christ’s sake. What can I do? I can’t bear to see her in this house. She’s talking of moving in and forces my kid brothers to call her mommy. Last week, I found her asking for the keys to my late mother’s Pajero. Lord! I slapped her so hard and was ready to kill her. Help me! How do I deal with her? The reason I am writing to you is because I know killing is a sin.

A. Hello, thank you for writing to me. You are right, killing someone constitutes a criminal offence and no one has the right to take another’s life. Have you talked to your father about how you feel about him dating your age mate? If not, I will advise you to do so. Because your father has the right to know how you feel about the situation at hand in as much as you have the right as his daughter to make your feelings known. Talk to your father about this, as it will help him make an informed decision that will be best for both him and his children. You should also try to look at the situation from a different angle. It could be your father needs companionship, but that doesn’t mean he will be replacing your mum. I am sure she will always hold a special place in his heart.

AUNTY KNOWS BEST

Q. A guy that I was in love with for so long and who did not reciprocate my affections back then has come back into my life claiming that he loves me. I am already in a steady relationship, however part of me still loves me. What should I do?

A I am sorry that you find yourself in this situation. However I have a question for you; do you love the gentlemen that you are in a relationship with right now? If the answer is “yes” then my dear you need to let go of that long-lost love of yours, because you will never move forward if you keep looking back at your past. Focus on the man in your life and try to be happy. However, if the answer to my question is “no”, being in a steady relationship does not mean you love the person. It only means you get along and tolerate each other. I cannot choose for you, but follow your heart always.

Q. Hi Aunty, I just found out that I am pregnant and my boyfriend is HIV positive. I am very scared to get tested because we slept together. I have even failed all my modules. Must I kill myself?

A. Hello dear, thank you for reaching out. I am sorry that you are going through this. You do not have to kill yourself for this doesn’t mean your world has come to an end; but just a rough patch you are going through. I will advise you to go for testing despite your fear. Knowing your status is for your baby’s own good and yours too. It is also important for you to visit the university counsellor/psychologist at the office of the dean of students, for a one-on-one session that will be of so much help to you academically and all that you are going through. Good luck.

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Faith Nelwamondo

The University of Namibia (UNAM) held a five-day testing and counselling campaign at its Rundu Campus in the Kavango East region recently.

Hosted under the theme, “No 40 for trust,” the campaign revolved mainly around discouraging the common practice of having unprotected sexual intercourse, whilst encouraging testing for HIV and AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections.

Students were encouraged to get themselves tested, screened and counselled for free at the campus.

Volunteers from the New Start Centre in the region together with nurses from the Rundu State Hospital provided their support to the students at the campus during the five-day campaign.

The testing process involves a rapid test which takes five to ten minutes to administer. The test requires

a few droplets of blood which is obtained from one fingertip through a pinprick. The blood is fed into a testing kit where results are obtained.

Some of the students who participated in the testing process noted that, it is never an easy step to undergo screening and counselling even though you know your status. The feeling of uncertainty is always there, they said.

They, however, added that the knowledge of a confirmed HIV status (positive or negative) far outweighs any reason for anyone to not want to do the test because of the fear of needles.

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Rundu Campus

Neudamm Campus

around and about

unam campuses

Kapurua Kuhanga

Graduates from the University of Namibia (UNAM)’s ogongo campus took pride in wearing their black gowns at the ongwediva Trade Centre exhibiting their green sashes which reflect the disci-plines of Agriculture and Natural Sciences offered at the campus.

“The colour green portrays growth just like the plants and wildlife in nature.” Said Vekurisa Ka-horongo a graduating student. “This is a true repre-sentation as ogongo prides itself in educating young Namibians in agriculture and Natural Sciences.”

Josephine Shilongo who is currently enrolled at the campus observed that, “this year more students graduated and I can’t wait to be one of those that make it.”

More students graduated in 2015 compared to previ-ous years.

The campus’ graduation ceremony took place re-cently.

Ogongo Campus

Amy Groenwald

The University of Namibia (UNAM)’s Neudamm Agricultural Campus can look forward to becoming a commercialized enterprise in addition to the agricul-tural training it offers to its students.

The campus which is situated 40 kilometres east of windhoek has been able to sell vegetables harvested at the campus, to its staff members from which a profit is generated.

Neudamm Campus Administrator Amanda Lubbe ex-plained that agricultural students plant the vegetables as a form of their practical training.

The vegetables are then sold twice a week to the cam-pus staffs and students who receive the first priority to buy these vegetables.

Additionally, the vegetables harvested may be sea-sonal, and currently, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and carrots have ripened for the winter season.

Despite the current drought and water scarcity faced in most parts of the country, the campus has been able to utilize the water from the Neudamm dam as an ir-rigation system for the crop section at the school and for the campus gardens.

Lubbe added that any form of education and practical training goes hand in hand, as the one cannot survive without the other and that the latter is especially true when it comes to farming, where there are so many practical activities taught in theory.

when assessing what the Neudamm campus has to of-fer its students; Lubbe noted that they gain theoretical knowledge, while doing their practical training.

She further added that the Agricultural Campus’ focus remains on training, especially practical education, in order to better provide the students with the needed insight to one day become the best possible farmers.

Neudamm Campus farming generates income

HIV/AIDS week held at Rundu Campus

ogongo campus graduates in green

By Nchimunya Numbwa

Khomasdal campus students are positively impacting their immediate community by offering free lessons to pupils, sharing library and sports facilities and assisting in community projects throught the aegis of societies such as the Debate club, Peer educators, Tulongeni and Oshwana cultural society as well as the Christian movement groups.

The campus shares its library and sport facilities with the surrounding schools said Uzuvira Tjomita, the Student Representative Council (SRC) for Sports and Recreation. The community outreach programs also involve after school classes for learners in subjects like mathematics, geography and social studies. Students actually volunteer to teach these subjects for free, he added.

During an interview with UNAM Echo, the SRC Vice President, Tuyooleni Shapaka disclosed how Khomasdal campus makes it possible to achieve community outreach objectives. He said that the campus social worker, Mrs. Elsa Dunaiski, is in

charge and she assist in counselling, mentoring of students and availing finance for ongoing community outreach projects. He also added that all lecturers participate in the mentorship program for students.

Shapaka said that community outreach project is a lot of work which requires compassionate persons. As to the reason informing Khomasdal campus’ enthusiasm about the programmes, he said that most of it is initiated by the students noting that some students are actually aware of such situations as they all come from different backgrounds.

“So this simply shows that we recognise them because less financially privileged people stay hungry for months and the government doesn’t even look at them” Shapaka said. “Therefore community outreach projects are part of the Khomasdal campus culture.”

Khomasdal Campus

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Khomasdal campus give back through community out-reach programmes

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Mixing cough syrup and soft drinks or power drinks has become a popular trend to get intoxicated at the University of Namibia (UNAM) main campus.

Users are mixing prescription cough suppressants containing codeine with cool drinks or sports drinks to get intoxicated. The mixture causes euphoria and impairs motor skills.

The cough-medicine cocktails, known as “Lean,” on campus, is especially popular in the hostel grounds.The cough syrup, used in doses much higher than medically recommended, is typically mixed with ingredients such as Sprite, Fanta or Coke thus the mixture turns purple. The concoction is “typically consumed out of plastic water bottles around campus” a UNAM student told this publication.

Students are either using false prescriptions to obtain the controlled cough syrup or buy it as self-medication from pharmacies. Codeine comes from opium. It is similar to - but less potent than morphine.

According to the media, cough-syrup use has been popularized in rap songs, including mixes by Houston disc jockey DJ Screw (who died of a cocaine overdose in 2000) and songs by Three 6 Mafia (“Sippin’ on the Syrup”).

The trend got greater attention when Terrance Kiel, a defensive back for the San Diego Chargers, was arrested in 2006 for having cases of cough syrup shipped to his home in East Texas. He pleaded guilty to the felony charges in 2007 and was dropped from the team.

The drink includes a “massive” amount of the opiate codeine, which can be addictive in high doses. The addictive nature of the drink means that trying to discontinue regular usage can bring about symptoms of withdrawal. In a 2008 interview with MTV News, Lil Wayne described the withdrawal as feeling “like death in your stomach when you stop”.

The physiological effects of lean on the user is to produce mild “euphoric side effects”, which are accompanied by “motor-skill impairment, fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, confusion, dizziness and a dissociative feeling from all other parts of the body,” said a concerned Doctor

High doses may lead to restlessness and/or itching, kidney and liver damage. An overdose can lead to a suppressed respiratory system and death. Over the long term, codeine abuse affects every part of the body – heart, lungs, brain, eyes, muscles, digestive system reproductive system and the immune system. It can make the user insensitive to pain, lower the blood pressure and lead to confusion. Codeine is addictive, physically and psychologically and requires treatment to aid in stopping its use.

UNAM students please be careful, University life is full of peer pressure. Abstain from the use of lean, as this cocktail can be very addictive and dangerous for your health.

by berny bai

sako

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Caution!! UNAM students:

Cough syrup + soft drink = danGeR

Keeping warm and

saving this winter

The winter season is here and it is time to learn how you can keep warm and save at the same time while you are away from home. According to Hannah Wrightson, students do not have enough money to spend on heaters in order to stay warm during wintertime.

She offers the following tips to keeping warm on a low stu-dent budget:

• Layers,LayersandlayersMommy always told you to double up to stay warm. So grab thosehats,gloves,scarvesandanythingyoucanfindtowarmup.

• EnjoyhotdrinksNothing warms up your heart like a good cup of tea or coffee.

• Hot-waterbottlesBoilwaterandfillitupinthosebottlesandgetwarmedupin your bed. It is old- fashioned but they keep you warm and they do not cost a fortune.

• ExerciseExerciseandgetyourbloodpumpedupandstaywarmandlose weight at the same time.

For more information: http://www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/blog/cheap-easy-stay-warm-university-winter/

by: Maria Amakali

Most people understand the importance of getting a good night’s sleep to feel refreshed and alert the next morning.

Experts repeatedly recommend sleeping seven to nine hours each night in a quiet, totally dark environment to stimulate the production of melatonin to enhance the quality of sleep and allow the body to perform routine metabolic repair func-tions. This is necessary to help prevent diseases and promote vibrant health.

It may come as a surprise to you that either too much or too little sleep can contribute significantly to the development of cardiovascular diseases and death from a heart attack.

Researchers from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, publishing the result of a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that a good night’s sleep can increase the health benefits of exer-cise, proper diet and moderate alcohol consumption. Scien-tists also determined that these lifestyle habits synergistically help to protect against cardiovascular disease.

IMPORTAnCE OF A gOODnIghT

slEEP by berny baisako

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LOOKS

LooksDo they really matter?

To society, yesFills your mind with poisonous matter

Now I am out looking for that poster girlIn high heels with jumpy curls

With a smile so bright a blind man shall see after encountering herDo looks really matter?

To society, yesTell me to look for one according to set standards

What if she fails to meet my set prerequisites?Then they can fall to the wayside

Since their external layer is not impeccableThey are deemed dispensable

Do looks really matter?To society yes

By Frans J

-Frans J

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The Coffee TableIt was afternoon and I was having a conversa-tion with a neighbour. While exiting his room, I spotted a mouse run-ning in the corridor of the house; for the few seconds I had the mouse in my view, I screamed as if in anguish to my tenant, “n muis, n muis” (a mouse, a mouse).

It disappeared as fast as it had appeared which led to my confusion on whether I had really seen the rodent or had my mind played a trick on me? I quickly exited the room to see where the mouse vanished to. As I walked towards the direction it went to, the rooms that it could have entered lay before me; of

these three rooms only one had an open door. That one happened to be my bedroom.

Again I screamed, “Die muis het in my kamer in gegaan bru!!” (The mouse has entered my room bro) and I urgent-ly knelt down to scour underneath my bed and wardrobe for its pres-ence.

This was the first time I knowingly slept with a mouse in my room, let alone in my house. And I had this nagging thought that it would make its way onto my bed and chew bits of my flesh off.

In an effort to get rid of it I resorted to mimick-ing a cats’ meow sound that proved unsuccess-ful. So I made another attempt via a near per-fect sound in the form of a meow ringtone but that too proved futile in drawing out this nauseating, unattractive unlike Ratatouille crea-ture.

So I resorted to sleeping with the light on, and taking 20 minute naps through the night, after which I wake to feel if I was still the only living thing on my bed!

The Mouse that kept me up all Night By Frans J

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Keep on trucking

How do we assess the trials and tribulations that occur from time to time in our lives? How do we measure the impact or effects

it has left on us? How do we see such scars? Do we perceive them as permanent or just temporal that will fade away with time?

This may take the form of a heartbreak or disappointment from people that are close to our hearts. The very same people that

swore to us a hundred times that they love and care for us. The same people that we gave and opened our hearts to, the very same people who swore to us that they would do anything to make sure that our happiness comes first before theirs and that we are the most impor-tant and priceless person worthy of their love and time.

Do we take revenge just to feel better? Do we take revenge be-cause we want to make them feel the same pain they have

caused us? Alternatively, do we simply just walk away, and mend our broken hearts in other ways?

No matter what we choose to do; at the end of the day, it is up to us. what we chose to do depends on who we are deep within

our hearts. we should always remember not to lose sight of our true selves. we need to make sure that after the whole storm is over we still have our dignity, pride and self-love.

The battles that we may have lost in life do not define who we are but they simply shape us to be better, wiser and stronger. our

inner strength is not defined by the number of times we have sur-vived knockdowns but rather by the times, we have picked up our-selves to fight again.

The youth of today face different challenges in life, but ‘being yourself ’ is an exceptional challenge. Despite having to grow up with different cultural influences and experienc-es, we all have our unique personality traits as individuals, and that makes us as special and as unique as the next person.

Just like everybody else, I grew up admir-ing people around me and I looked up to them as my role models. I pictured myself as a good person just like my hero. I walked the victory walk in their shoes to overcome obstacles, and that was the power of the influence they exerted over me.

This was until I became conscious of my own talent, my potential and realised I could be the very best by being myself and that was no easy challenge. Let me break it down. The truth to discov-ering yourself is all about acceptance and it becomes much easier when you stop com-paring yourself to others. other people may be a good example to you but who are you to duplicate them?

Think about it! you may want to be smart or obtain a qualification in a certain field and be an expert like someone you know but is that really your core identity/inter-ests? If you spend your time doing things you're not good at or love, it will frustrate you and cause you to feel defeated and un-

successful.

The reality however is that you can’t be like someone else no matter how hard you try. God created variety to spice up our lives and existence.

To the ladies, never complain about not finding “Mr Right” because you are making it difficult for “Mr Right” to see you because you are hiding your beauty and self under layers of make-up. This advice applies to those who lack self-love and acceptance of themselves.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in being different by developing your own abilities and by doing that you prepare yourself to deal with criticisms. People will always criticise something, be it good or bad. They will talk about it, and the best solution is to let them be and ignore them.

So, here is the lesson for today: never apolo-gise for being yourself but remember not to become arrogant and conceited. Be your-self, take each day on a step-by-step basis. Be kind, but never allow your kind charac-ter to be taken for weakness. It is not your duty to please people; but to accept yourself for who you are.

Being yourself is no easy challenge.

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By Embula onesmus

MOTIvATIOn 35

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sPORTsUNAM Gym contributes to community wellnessBy Nashongo Kandali

UNAM Gym aims to keep members of the community – staffs, students, members of the different sport codes and societies – fit and productive.

with this goal in mind, staff members get medical and first aid training, as well as on how to run the gym, check if mem-bers are okay and ensuring the cleanliness of the facility, Justus Goreseb, UNAM Sports officer, said. “The gym has a comfort-able environment and everyone is welcome to join”, he added.

“our fee is N$100 per month” Goreseb said. “Making it the cheapest gym in Namibia compared to other gyms that charge between N$300-N$500 per month.”

The gym opens for 9 months every year from 06:00 to 19:00 on Mondays to Thursdays and from 06:00 to 13:00 hours on fridays.

outsiders are welcome to join the gym which also offers aero-bics as well as fitness classes.

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