The Hai||om San community of the Erongo Region is calling for access to education opportunities for all members.

They say education is the cornerstone of progress, and they believe that such an opportunity will greatly enhance their learning and development.

Their children, they say, need access to quality education for them to reach their full potential.

The community is therefore demanding more schools, teachers, and educational materials that are relevant to their cultural context, programmes that support early childhood education, and extracurricular activities. 

They say that the elderly, who possess valuable knowledge and experience, request opportunities for lifelong learning, skills, and development.

"In addition to educational needs, we seek improved support for our community. It is our hope that we receive the same level of attention and resources as other regions. We need a dedicated support office for marginalised communities, one office that can address our specific challenges and work towards providing an equitable solution," said Zelda Khaibas, who addressed the gathering on behalf of the traditional authorities.

The Deputy Director for Lifelong Learning in Education Arts and Culture in Erongo, Natalia Guriras, said the ability of the Indigenous people to implement the education system in traditional languages will propel them to self-determination. 

"Indigenous people often don't have access to schooling in their traditional languages, and the curriculum and teaching methods do not incorporate nor recognise sufficiently their community's history, culture, ways of learning, and traditional knowledge. While socio-economic outcomes are often worse for Indigenous people than for other groups."