Oluno Bible School

NETS (Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary) Coordinator is introduced to prospective students of the NETS 'Certificate in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry', at Oluno Rehabilitation Centre, Northern Namibia!

Coordinator, David Greeff, asks Lukas, a prison inmate, “Why do you want to do the NETS course?”
“Well, I have been going to the Bible study and I want to learn more about God and the Bible.”
“Oh, really! That’s wonderful! What Bible study have you been going to? The one in your cell?”
“No, the ‘Oluno Bible Study’”
“What is the ‘Oluno Bible Study’”
“It is the one run by Kambahu.”
“Oh”, says coordinator, sounding impressed and indicating understanding … but actually doesn’t have a clue what Lukas is talking about.
Later he talks to Kambahu and asks him what the Oluno Bible Study actually is.

Kambahu:
It is our Bible school. It is a 2 year course which I designed. The focus is on helping people to be ready to do the NETS course. Many of the prisoners do not know their Bibles, have never even read a Bible and so, when they start the NETS course, they really struggle. So I designed this course to help them to become literate.

In the course we read through the Bible. Every book. We also talk about the background of the books, and the history of the Bible: how it came to be written. We have about 10 1st year students, and 10 2nd year students. We had our first graduation last year. When they finish this foundational course, they are ready to do the NETS leadership course.

Actually, there are many good people in the prison who would never be able to do the course because they cannot read and write. The course helps them to learn to read. Then NETS can get the best people enrolled in the course. I meet with them once a week. I set regular tests for them, as well as exams. The tests are not difficult. But some of them still fail (he laughs!).

Kavari is a case in point. He is a Himba man. They are a highly unurbanised, pastoral people, extremely unchurched, and mostly illiterate.
Kavari tells his story:
When I arrived in prison, Kambahu handed me a Bible (from the Library).
I said, ‘I don’t want the Bible!’.
He said I should take it and read it.
I said, ‘I have no use for the Bible. I cannot even read’.
Kambahu forced me to take the Bible.

So, I was approached by the spirit of reading. Later I asked my friend about my prison ID card. I ask him where my name was on the card. He showed me. I asked him how these marks made up my name. He explained what each letter meant. Slowly, I learned how to read my name, and also everything else on my prison card.

Then I went and sat on my bed. I put my blanket over my head because I was embarrassed. But I left a small space for light. I took the Bible Kambahu had given me. And I started comparing the letters on the prison card to the letters in the Bible. I found I could read most of it!

I want to thank Kambahu. Through him, God has put his Spirit in me to know him!
Now I can be a free man in prison serving God!

Kambahu later speaks about Kavari:
Even though he was illiterate when he came to prison, he is a gifted person. He could only speak Otjiherero. Now he fluently speaks Oshiwambo, Kwangali, Silozi, and is learning English and Afrikaans. He has been sentenced for 10 years, and has a further case against him. Usually, when people are sentenced for such a long period, they give up on life. They do not bother to come to church. But this is not so with Kavari. As you heard him say, he is motivated because he wants to serve God in prison. He has completed the Oluno Bible School, and now he is ready to do the NETS course!

Before he came to prison he was not at all a Christian. He was totally pagan – not even baptized. Now he has been baptized in prison. His life is utterly changed.

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Kambahu is a long term prisoner at Oluno rehabilitation centre. He is a Roman Catholic, thoroughly Evanglical, a NETS graduate in the 'Certificate in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry', and currently studying his Diploma in Theology through NETS.