Chairperson of the Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) Board, Bryan Eiseb, has said the company will continue to ensure that every Namibian benefits from the country’s natural resources.

Eiseb was speaking during the announcement of the first-ever recipients of bursaries from the Namdia Foundation which was established in 2019.

“At Namdia we will continue to make sure that every Namibian benefits from the country’s natural resources. I think once we do that, we should not have poverty in Namibia. We cannot have diamonds in Namibia and have people that are suffering and do not know when their next meal will come,” he said.

Eiseb encouraged the recipients to make use of the opportunity and work hard so that they can make their parents, themselves and Namibia proud.

In her remarks, Namdia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and chairperson of the foundation Alisa Amupolo said the company received 300 applications, of which only 14 applicants, with one from every region except ||Kharas which accepted two, met the set requirements.

Hardap was the only region without representation.

She said the foundation will invest N.dollars 2.8 million per year with approximately N.dollars 200 000 being allocated per student to cover tuition, hostel accommodation, study material and a monthly stipend for any other expenses the recipients might need during their academic tenure.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Joakie Gaseb thanked the Namdia foundation for the bursaries.

“Your generosity has helped fulfil a dream most of us thought would not come true due to our families’ difficult financial situations. It has brought back hope for our academic future,” Gaseb said.

The bursaries were awarded for mining engineering, geology, chemical engineering, medical, civil engineering, agronomics, veterinary medicine, chartered accounting and power engineering studies.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency