I still remember the first covid-19 call I had while working on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) shift on one of the ambulance companies in Windhoek. Arriving on scene dressed in a full body isolation suit, with an N95 mask and gloves (with my uniform under of course), I thought to myself’ “A year or two ago, my fellow senior students most likely did not have to put this on nor did they have to fear contracting an infectious disease and possibly taking it back to their families at home.”

My name is Joseph Simson, and I am a second year Bachelor of Emergency Care student.

My name is Helvi Shindume, I have a bachelor's degree in agricultural science and I am currently pursuing an Honours degree in Agribusiness. My love for agriculture grew from a tender age and now it’s slowly starting to reap the fruits of success through my Women in Agriculture Namibia (WIAN) initiative.

WIAN was established in 2019 and places an emphasis on women pursuing careers in agriculture, or making a living through agricultural practices. In addition, the project aims to strengthen the recognition of such women’s efforts.

The year 2019 was an absolutely favouring time for me. My journey as a student had just begun, it was a great feeling to finally be part of a prestigious University such as NUST. The year was filled with new experiences, faces and most importantly, added knowledge. It was truly the ‘university experience’ I had yearned for. The following year, which was my second year, I was hopeful it would be better and offer even more, but it turned out to be less of the norm. On March 13th 2020, Namibia reported its first positive Coronavirus case, and it left everyone in limbo, including myself.

It was late January 2003 when the 2002 matric year end results were published in the newspapers. I was not excited, nor overwhelmed, but I did look forward to seeing my results. I woke up that morning and realised that I might not be able to see my results since I did not have money to buy a newspaper. Yes, money was real scarcity when I was a young adult. I carefully evaluated my options and realised that I could walk over to NAMCOL, and since I lived nearby, I could view my results there.