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About Us

About Us

Our History

The Forum for African Women Educationalists in Namibia, FAWENA, is a National Chapter of the Pan-African Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) that was founded in 1992 by five women ministers of education to promote girls’ and women’s education in sub-Saharan Africa in line with Education for All.  FAWE was born out of discussions of African Ministers and funding agencies within the Association for Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), and UNESCO-affiliated forum which brought together 48 Ministries of Education in Sub-Saharan Africa and about 44 donor agencies funding education in Africa. FAWE headquarters is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

FAWE Namibia opened its office in June 1999 with the support of the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture to increase access, improve retention and enhance the quality of education for vulnerable girls and women in Namibia.

FAWENA is registered under Section 19 of Act 12 of 1979 as a non-governmental organization (NGO). The offices are situated in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture building in Windhoek.

Girls Club Training

FAWENA Strategic Objectives 2024-2028

1. To enhance access to quality education and training opportunities for girls     

    and women in Namibia.

2. To enhance the generation and utilization of research evidence to inform       

    education policy and practice.

3. To strengthen institutional capacity and enhance the operational   

    effectiveness of the FAWE network.

Organisation and Focus

FAWE Namibia works at policy, institutional and community levels.  We work with and through the Ministries of Education at all levels in the country to ensure ownership and sustainability of the FAWENA programs. FAWENA also has a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministries of Education. The MOUs defines the partnership and outlines the role and responsibilities of the ministries of education and FAWENA. FAWENA uses existing institutions and structures both at Ministerial and community levels as a way of promoting ownership whilst recognizing the local capacities and capabilities.

Over the years, FAWENA has built awareness and consensus on the social and economic advantages of girls’ education through its advocacy work. As a result, Namibia government has adopted and continues to adopt gender-positive policies and interventions such as free primary education, re-entry policies for adolescent mothers, scholarships for disadvantaged girls, FAWE’s COE model, TUSEME, gender-responsive pedagogy and others. This has led to increased rates of girls’ enrolment; retention and completion of school in Namibia.

FAWENA believes that education is a human right and that all citizens, including women and girls, must enjoy that right. Education has direct benefits for girls and women who attend school and leads to extensive benefits for society at large. Educating girls and women reduces fertility rates, reduces child and infant mortality rates, improves nutrition and health, protects girls and women from abuse, exploitation and HIV/AIDS, increases economic productivity and growth, and improves governance and democratic processes.

Our Vision

An equitable and inclusive society where all Namibian girls and women are thriving.

Our Mission

To promote gender responsive policies, practices, and attitudes in education to enhance equal opportunities for Namibian girls and women to prosper.

Our Motto

Education for Change

Our Values and Guiding Principles

At FAWENA, our values and guiding principles form the bedrock of our work towards promoting gender equality, girls’ education, and women’s empowerment in Namibia. These principles guide our actions and shape our decision-making process, ensuring that we stay true to our mission and vision. They define who we are and serve as a compass in our journey toward a more equitable and inclusive society.

Our 5 I’s are:

Impact-oriented: We prioritize meaningful results and long-term outcomes for girls and women, educators, and the educational system with a focus on creating positive and lasting impact on individuals, communities, and society.

Inclusivity: We promote equity in education, working to ensure equal access to quality education for all girls and women, including those with disabilities regardless of their socio-economic background, geographical location, or cultural context.

Innovation: We utilize creative solutions, research, and technology integration to overcome educational challenges faced by women and girls.

Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of excellence, transparency, and responsible governance. We are transparent in our actions and utilization of resources efficiently, ensuring that our activities have a meaningful impact and deliver value to the communities we serve.

Involvement: We foster collaboration and partnerships with various stakeholders to create a collective impact in advancing girls’ and women’s education in Namibia.

Our Approach

Policy Advocacy

Influencing governments and other partners to review existing educational policies and adopt strategies to achieve greater and better participation of girls in education.

Community Advocacy
Building public awareness on the social and economic value of girls’ education so that citizens themselves take responsibility for the task and collectively work to support the agenda.

Interventions

Developing and promoting models that demonstrate that contexts can be created that are conducive to girls’ enrolment, continuation and successful completion of the school cycle.

Replication and mainstreaming

Encouraging governments to adopt and generalize innovations that have demonstrated positive impacts on girls’ schooling.

Strategic Partnerships

  • In order to contribute to concerted efforts towards achieving EFA goals, FAWENA explores potential areas of collaboration and establishes partnerships with like-minded parties.
  • These partnerships minimize duplication of effort and develop greater coherence and synergy in programs and approaches related to gender and education in Namibia.

FAWENA Alumni

Structure

FAWE Namibia is a membership organization whose members include ministers of education, university vice-chancellors, education policy-makers, researchers, gender specialists and human rights activists.

Our organization structure comprises a Regional Secretariat headquartered in Windhoek, Namibia. Our governance structure comprises 7-member Executive Committee and General Assembly. 

Leadership and Management

The governing body of FAWENA is the Executive Committee which consists of seven (7) office bearers: Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and three (3) other members elected to the Committee.  The current Committee members comprise of four (4) Women and three (3) men, with Hon. Ester Anna Nghipondoka, as the Chairperson. Hon. Nghipondoka is the current Minister of Education, Arts and Culture in Namibia. The Executive Committee members governs the operations of FAWENA. Under the Executive Committee is the Sub-committee and National Secretariat

The Sub-committee members are any person that takes up FAWENA membership and serves under the different sub-committees to provide their expertise, skills and knowledge in their areas of expertise or specialization. The sub-committees include Policy and Research, Training and Facilitation, Monitoring and Evaluation, Gender and Advocacy and Resource Mobilization and Finance.

The National Secretariat with Headquarters in Windhoek is vested with the duty of running FAWENA day-to-day operations. The National Secretariat is headed by the National Chapter Coordinator. FAWENA current staff consists of two (2) Program Officers, one (1) Finance and Admin Officer and one (1) Driver.

FAWENA Executive Committee Members:

Hon. Ester Anna Nghipondoka,

MP, Minister- Ministry of Education, Art and Culture

FAWENA Chairperson

Masters of Education (Specializing in Inclusive Education)- University of Western Cape

Bachelor of Education (Specializing in Special Education needs)- University of Fort Hare

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology- University of Fort Hare

________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Rauha Haufiku

Chief Human Resource-Office of the Prime Minister;
FAWENA Vice-Chairperson

Chairperson- Monitoring and Evaluation Subcommittee

Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Land Development (ULD)-Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Certificate in Health Management Programme (HMP) (with CUM LAUDE)- Pretoria, South Africa

Bachelor Degree in Human Resources Management-Polytechnic of Namibia.

Diploma in Human Resources Management-Polytechnic of Namibia

________________________________________________________________________

 

Mr. Gerson Kongoro

Retired School Principal
FAWENA Treasurer

Diploma in Educational Management- University of Potchefstroom

Senior Primary Education Diploma- Open Learning Group

Primary Teachers Certificate

Diploma in Transformational Leadership- African Leadership Institute

________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Wilibard N. Hadula

Managing Director-Rosspedros Investments
FAWENA Executive Committee Member

Chairperson-Finance and Resource Mobilization Subcommittee

FAWENA Alumni

Certificate in Marketing and Finance Management- International University of Management (IUM)

Media Science- University of Namibia

__________________________________________________________________________

Ms. Justina Naftali

Life Skills Teacher- Hage Geingob HS;
FAWENA Executive Committee Member

Chairperson- Training and Facilitation Subcommittee

Bachelor of Public Governance-Namibia University of Science and Technology

Bachelor of Public Management- Namibia University of Science and Technology

Diploma in HIV/Management and Counselling-University of Namibia

Advanced Certificate in Education (Learner Support)-North West University

Diploma in Basic Education Teacher- Windhoek College Education

_______________________________________________________________________

Ms. Delphia E. Jimmy

Life Skills Coordinator- One Economy Foundation 
FAWENA Executive Committee Member

Chairperson- Gender and Advocacy Subcommittee

Diploma in Basic Education- University of Namibia

Advanced Certificate in Education - IOL

Certificate in Transformational Leadership-African Leadership Institute

_______________________________________________________________________

Mr. Veno Zemburuka

Life Skills teacher- Orwetoveni Primary School

FAWENA Executive Committee member

Chairperson- Research and Policy Subcommittee

Certificate in Mindset Education 

Bachelor of Education (Education management)

MBA- Finance 

 

 

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