In memoriam Jakob van Zyl

We are friends and family of Jakob's, heartbroken by his sudden and premature passing. We are honoring the memory of Dr. Jakob van Zyl, his stellar career in space science and engineering, and his extraordinary life beyond his career. We do this by helping the schools in Namibia that he cared about and supported generously. This video  captures Jakob's connection with his native land.

The funds will go to a small network of schools which Jakob and Kalfie van Zyl have been working with for many years, and which are located in the area where they grew up in Namibia.  Jakob was particularly keen on motivating young people to excel in both their studies and their sports, and to pursue careers in science and engineering.

Due to a severe drought in Namibia and the COVID pandemic, these schools are in need of help. The funds will be used to provide basic services to students, including meals and learning materials, and basic repairs to infrastructure from restrooms to classrooms.

The goal is to raise a minimum of $25,000 for these schools. Dr. Michael Watkins, a colleague of Jakob's, will match contributions dollar for dollar, up to $12,500, to help reach the $25,000 goal.