MULTICHOICE NAMIBIA DONATES to NAMIBIA ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

On Thursday, 24 August 2013, MultiChoice Namibia donated technical equipment to the value of N$30 000.00 to assist with the activities of the Namibia Oral History Project. The Namibia Oral History Project is necessitated by a historiographical gap which exists in the liberation history of Namibia. Most of what is written is academic history, which does not cover all aspects of personal histories and biographies, therefore the project is aimed at collecting information from critical role players in the liberation struggle to further supplement existing accounts and bring about other angles of the history of the liberation struggle in Namibia, says Project Leader Dr. Audrin Mathe.

(Photograph: MultiChoice Namibia GM, Roger Gertze - left, and Dr. Audrin Mathe, Namibia Oral History Project)

Handing over the technical equipment, the General Manager of MultiChoice Namibia, Mr. Roger Gertze noted, “MultiChoice Namibia prides itself in contributing toward various initiatives that are aimed at but not limited to the education sector”. He further stated that the noble efforts by the Namibia Oral History Project will not only contribute positively to the education sector, they will also contribute towards the Namibian nation gaining an understanding and holistic view of Namibia’s history.

Other MultiChoice Namibia Corporate Social Investment Initiatives:

Our CSI (Corporate Social Investment) Philosophy

Our success depends on the health and growth of the communities within which we operate. In contributing to this development, we leverage our core assets and expertise to nurture talent, harness skills and expand opportunities across Africa. Our support has brought both social and economic benefits to local communities through investment, job opportunities, partnerships and training. We also believe in the power of partnerships and therefore work closely with our stakeholders to drive growth and development. 

Education remains a priority and as such it is the main focus of our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) strategy. Our investment is primarily, but not exclusively, activated through our flagship MultiChoice Resource Centre (MRC) initiative. The programme leverages our powerful digital satellite platform to make a difference in the lives of students and teachers across Namibia. 

MultiChoice Resource Centre Programme
The MultiChoice Resource Centre (MRC) Programme was established to increase and enhance access to quality educational resources. 

“Through this initiative MultiChoice Namibia established 300 schools across the country and close to 11 Teacher Resource Centres of which the scope of this programme is towards the development of Namibia’s human capital”, states Roger Gertze, the General Manager of MultiChoice Namibia. 

He further adds that the MRCs, as the extensive reach and capabilities of the DStv digital satellite technology platform are leveraged to bring high quality, up-to-date learning materials into schools across Africa, even at the remotest of communities. The programme benefits teachers and pupils in both the urban and rural areas of our country regardless of geography or logistics.

Included in the investment are a flat screen television, and a fully installed DStv system, which includes an HD-PVR decoder, dish and smart card. The DStv Education Bouquet, which is made available to participating schools free of charge, comprises nine premium channels: The History Channel, Mindset Learn Channel, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, BBC World, BBC Knowledge, and the NBC. 

Continuous training and support of teachers to utilise the resource efficiently and effectively is one of the fundamental elements of the initiative.

The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards
Through the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, MultiChoice Namibia inspires young people across the continent to become excited, involved and exposed to science and technology concepts.

With a shared vision that science and technology proficiency is a key driver for the development of Africa’s social and economic landscape, MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat Communications have assembled their expertise to initiate a pan-African student competition. The awards aim to inspire innovative thinking among secondary and high school pupils in Africa, to create awareness on how science and technology can be applied to everyday life, and to showcase the many ways that satellites already impact on the development of the African continent.

Pupils enter the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards by writing an essay or designing a poster on the given theme; the top four country winners are entered into the continental awards to stand a chance at winning the grand prize of the .

The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards
MultiChoice Africa encourages and celebrates excellence in African journalism through its annual partnership with CNN on the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards. It is our responsibility as a prominent media player to invest in democratic and evolving societies in Africa by providing a voice for quality journalism.

The highly prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards has been co-hosted by MultiChoice since 2005. This pan-African event has established itself as the preeminent media event in recognising the dedication and distinction of our top African journalists who often perform in challenging conditions. 

Each year the number and quality of the entries received from across Africa elevates the standard to reflect the growing wealth of talent across our diverse nations.

The awards have grown to include a media forum and many senior journalists and publishers from around the continent are invited. These topical debates have quickly become a highlight at the awards. MultiChoice has helped to raise skills and build the capacity of newsrooms on the continent by including additional media workshops in various countries.

Contact:

Katrina Sikeni,

Public Relations and Communication Manager

MultiChoice Namibia

T +264612705250

E-mail: Katrina.Sikeni@na.multichoice.com