Learners at Elim Primary School in Windhoek were encouraged to value independence, work hard and believe in their future.

The school held a pre-Independence Day celebration on Friday.

A member of the National Assembly, Tobie Aupindi, explained to the learners that independence is not only about freedom but also about the future of young Namibians.

"Independence is about freedom, but it's also about your future. I want to say, when I was a young kid like yourself, I was not privileged to be in a nice school. I was brought up in the bush when people were fighting for Namibia. But even when I was there, I never gave up. I was studying hard. We didn't even have pens and papers. We used to write on the floor, erase and start again. It was a war, not peace like now. So I want to tell you that no matter how difficult it is for you right now, never give up. Never ever give up, even if it's tough."

He urged learners to take their education seriously and to respect those guiding them.

"I want you to be serious with your classes. Be serious with your teachers. We need to respect the teachers. We need to respect the parents. We need to respect our principals." 

Dr Aupindi also emphasised unity and the importance of supporting one another and encouraged both boys and girls to believe in their potential.

"Do you know what it means to have a woman president? It means that all our people, the boys and the girls, are equal. So I don't want you to look down on yourself because you are a girl. You can achieve everything you want to achieve in your life."