Windhoek: At the age of 19 in 1992, Andoline Luipert began her journey as Sam Nujoma’s personal waitress at State House, accompanying him on trips to several countries. With his support, she later received a Commonwealth bursary to study Tourism and Hospitality in Cyprus, an island located between Turkey and Greece. Today, she has built a successful career and serves as a vocational instructor in Tourism and Hospitality at Kai||Ganaxab Youth Skills Training Centre outside Mariental.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Luipert expressed that Nujoma played a pivotal role in shaping her future. “At the State House, he was more like a father figure. We worked for him, but he made us feel at home. He moulded me into the person I am today and if it was not for his guidance and help, I might not have been where I am today,” Luipert shared.
Luipert recounted how she ended up working for Nujoma after overhearing a conversation about him looking for a personal waitress while making tea for her mother and uncle, the late former Deputy Prime Minister, Hendrik Witbooi. She immediately applied and began her unforgettable experience at State House.
“The experience was something else, Nujoma was a very talkative man who loved to laugh and interact with everyone but was strict with time. He was very health conscious, woke up early every morning to jog around the old State House,” she recalled.
She fondly remembered how Nujoma used to call her ‘Kadona’ and would interact with his staff, pointing out animals to them while travelling. After returning from her studies in Cyprus in 1997, Luipert and her colleague were welcomed back by Nujoma at State House.
After three months, Luipert applied for a position through the Ministry of Youth and Sports to work at Kai||Ganaxab and was accepted. In 1998, she moved to Mariental and has been working at the centre ever since.
Luipert shared with Namibia Press Agency that the last time she saw Nujoma face to face was in 2009 at the funeral of Hendrik Witbooi. One of the waitresses noticed her and informed Nujoma that Kadona was present, prompting him to summon her to the tent where he was seated.
“He asked me how I was doing, and that I should continue teaching the people in the south; a promise I made to him and to this day, I still uphold that promise,” stated Luipert.
Namibia laid their founding father to rest on Saturday. Nujoma was 95 years old when he died on 08 February 2025 in Windhoek. Luipert expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you for everything, Tatekulu, you are loved.”