Walvis Bay children are being given an early lesson in road safety, responsibility and decision-making through a new initiative aimed at building safer road users from a young age.
Rössing Uranium launched the inaugural Children’s Traffic School Competition at the Walvis Bay Children’s Traffic School, turning road-safety education into a practical and engaging experience for young learners. The initiative forms part of Rössing’s Bigger-Than-Me Programme, which focuses on partnerships and collective action to create meaningful change in communities.
The Walvis Bay Children’s Traffic School was revamped in 2024 through a collaboration between Rössing Uranium and the Municipality of Walvis Bay, creating a practical environment where children can learn and apply road-safety principles. During the competition, learners from local schools climbed behind the wheels of miniature wire cars and were tested on their understanding of basic traffic rules. They had to stop at stop signs, use indicators correctly and maintain safe distances between vehicles.
The practical competition was designed to determine whether children could apply the road-safety knowledge gained through their school patrol programmes in real-life situations. Jonah Haven emerged as the inaugural winner, defeating Sunshine Kids School Centre and taking home a floating trophy. The trophy is expected to remain in circulation as the competition grows, with Rössing planning to involve more schools in future editions. Rössing said the initiative is about more than winning a competition. It is aimed at inculcating a culture of safety from an early age, particularly against the backdrop of road crashes and dangerous driving behaviour on Namibia’s roads.
The initiative also carried a strong message about personal responsibility and having agency, the ability to make independent choices, take purposeful action and influence the direction of one’s life. Welwitschia Services reinforced the message through the story of two woodcutters. While both worked equally hard, one regularly stopped for an hour. He explained that he used that time to sharpen his blade. The lesson was clear: preparation, learning and improving one’s skills can make the difference between simply working hard and working effectively. The project also demonstrated the importance of partnerships. Rössing acknowledged the support of the Walvis Bay Traffic Department, NIMT Youth Incubation Centre, Welwitschia Services, Kateq Engineering, Jepe Construction and Rössing Lived Legacy Members.
The road-safety initiative coincided with the national focus on road safety, reinforcing calls for stronger action to reduce accidents and dangerous behaviour on Namibia’s roads. Rössing stressed that the Bigger-Than-Me philosophy is not about one organisation working alone. It is bigger than Rössing. It is about partnerships, empowering children and building a stronger culture of road safety for Namibia’s future. Safer children. Safer roads. Stronger communities.
By Rudi Bowe
