New soccer field for Omakange school

Omakange Combined School in the Kunene Region has a new soccer field, thanks to a N$155 million upgrade at the school – which included the new football facility.

Renovations to the school started in 2016, a project of the ministry of education executed by the ministry of works.

The main contractor for the project was M&H Trading in a joint venture with Qingdao Construction. The project was completed in January 2021 but the soccer field, named I.K. Tjimuhiva after a local traditional chief, was officially opened on 25 March.

The field has a sitting capacity of 2000 people comfortably seated. Originally a gravel soccer field, Menzi Wastewater Management Solutions, one of the companies involved in the project, proposed and got green lights for a grass turf.

Menzi was constructing a wastewater treatment plant at the school, from which 50,000 liters of per day is used to irrigate the soccer field as well as vegetable gardens at the school.

Some of the water is also piped to a central point in Omakange where Menzi created a drinking hole for the community to bring their animals to drink water.

Menzi officially handed over the green soccer field to the school on 25 March and the first soccer game – featuring hosts Omakange Combined School and Epoko Combined School from Okalongo circuit in Omusati Region, took place same day. Epoko received a N$5000 cash donation from Menzi, as part of the festivities.

“It was the first time our boys played on a lawn,” said Epoko teacher Modestus Ndinomwa, who took his team to Omakange.