‘I just want to write my exams’
A 20-year-old student in Namibia is paralyzed after a swimming accident just days before his final exams. His family is now seeking financial assistance to cover medical costs and the potential need for a wheelchair.
Why it matters
The story highlights the vulnerability of students in regions with limited social safety nets and the challenges of accessing medical care after life-altering accidents.
Grade 12 pupil left paralysed after river accident
A Grade 12 pupil at Max Makushe Secondary School in the Kavango East region is unable to move after hitting his head on a rock in a freak accident while swimming with friends on Tuesday, just days before his exams began.
Petrus Kandjimi (20) is receiving medical treatment in Windhoek after sustaining serious neck and spinal injuries.
Kandjimi says he wants to write his exams, but he is stressed about them and fears he may not be able to write them because of his condition.
He says he and some friends left the school hostel to go swimming that morning after classes were cancelled because no teachers were on duty that day.
He says while jumping into the water, he hit his head on a rock. “I heard the sound of my head hitting the rock,” he says.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in