In 1999 the Junior City Council was established as an advisory committed to the City Council. The Junior Council is composed of 74 learners, executive members (Junior Mayor, Deputy Junior Mayor, Secretary and Treasurer), council members and understudies. The council’s main goal is to complete 4 community projects this year.
This year the WIS representatives are council member Mathew Varghese (Grade 11) and understudy Tapiwa Murwira (Grade 10). The nominations were merit-based and each candidate had to write a motivation letter detailing why they were most suited to be a part of the JCC.
Throughout the year Matthew and Tapiwa will be attending council meetings to plan community projects with other members. On the 19th of March, our WIS representatives attended a training session at the Social and Your Development Division Boardroom, where they fellow learners, made speeches, voted for the 2024/2025 executive members and bettered their understanding of civil duties.
Recently, on the 19th of March, Mathew and Tapiwa had their first Windhoek Junior City Council meeting of the year where they were introduced to the Junior City Council.
MATHEW:
I wanted to be in the Junior City Council because I have always been passionate about assisting people in Windhoek. This desire to improve the lives of people of Windhoek stems from my time in the Boy Scouts when I was in Grade 4.
As a Boy Scout, my fellow Boy Scouts and I were involved in numerous community-based activities. In addition to these events being a wonderful experience to develop friendships with the members of my Scouts Group, it also helped me develop various essential skills that I still utilize today. Notably, I distinctly remember how the fire-building practice that we completed together helped me learn how to effectively communicate ideas within a group setting and how to be a critical thinker during challenging circumstances whilst building the fire.
Thus, inspired by my experiences as a Boy Scout, I decided to help my community on a larger scale, be more involved in addressing pressing issues negatively impacting Windhoek and become a Junior City Councillor.
I attended my first City of Windhoek Junior City Council meeting on the 19th of March where we discussed the qualities of a good leader and elected the members of the Junior City Council that would make up the senior roles of the Junior City Council. The day was very eventful as I learned about the importance of confidence when delivering speeches. Many of my fellow counselors who delivered very passionate speeches aptly highlighted the importance of body language in communicating a particular message.
After these speeches, Miss Helena, who has helped the other Junior City Councillors in developing their projects and finding new project ideas to pursue in the future, informed us about the specific facets of the projects that will intend to pursue in the future.
Essentially, I understood that, during the year, my understudy, Tapiwa, and I will be involved in different projects that the Junior City Council will be planning. Specifically, we will do elaborate projects related to cancer, HIV/AIDS education in Windhoek, and support elderly citizens in Namibia; as well as a future project that will be outlined by Miss Helena shortly. I am looking forward to participating in the HIV/AIDS project as it is an issue that I am intent on addressing in the future.
Firstly, the project will allow me to approach projects with a focus on creativity. By implementing creative means to develop solutions for problems within Windhoek, I can assist Windhoek and communities in Windhoek on a large scale.
Giving back to the vibrant communities in Windhoek is amazing as it allows me to engage with the unique areas of Windhoek that I have yet to explore. The ability to discover new areas within my surroundings allows me to develop further insight into the prevalent problems affecting Windhoek and how I, as a Junior City Councillor on the Windhoek Junior City Council, will be able to develop effective solutions to these issues within our wonderful city.
TAPIWA:
My name is Tapiwa and I am a 10th-grade student with a great eagerness to make a positive impact in my city and learn about civic duties.
My experience as a chairperson for Model United Nations Namibia has honed my leadership skills and provided me with the skills to collaboratively problem solve. Furthermore, my participation in the annual community outreach at my church youth group has allowed me to connect with people, creating an understanding of what community is. In addition, I have pursued a 1-year peer counseling program which has equipped me with the skills needed to empathize, communicate effectively, and offer support. These experiences have made me grow as a person and empowered me to better my world.
Growing up in Windhoek, I have seen the challenges the city faces. Joining the Junior City Council provides me with a platform to address these issues by creating worthwhile solutions with my fellow council members. My favorite and most anticipated part of being in the JCC is the community projects. In these projects, I know I can contribute my skills, ideas, and motivation, not just through my voice but in my actions as well.
To me, community means moving together towards a common goal. A goal of creating opportunities, bettering lives, and sharing peace and love. Currently, Namibia is leaving behind the most vulnerable people, with 50% of Namibians living under the poverty line , Namibia is one of the most unequal countries in the world. It is an enormous gap to bridge, but I truly believe with these projects we can set the foundations to build a bridge towards shared prosperity.
With the help of Matthew and the other dedicated council members, I am certain the 2024/2025 JCC will make a difference in the City of Windhoek.
Mathew Varghese, Tapiwa Murwira