IT pains me to walk through the dusty streets of Katutura, and its surrounding areas, and see that there are still people suffering without basic items such as food and sanitation, even though this has become a normality to me because as a journalist you get exposed to such things on a daily basis.
The gap between the rich and the poor is much too wide, and this should be top on the agenda in order for the country to achieve Vision 2030.
Many Namibian children still cry themselves to sleep because they are hungry, many survive from a household monthly income of less than N$500.
Imagine a family surviving on N$500 a month, what can that amount of money buy you these days, in the days of escalating petrol and food prices.
People in areas such as Klein Windhoek live in a totally different world compared to people in the locations. It is a fact that family violence, alcoholism among parents, abuse and poverty are the main motivating factors why children leave their homes.
In Windhoek, especially in the poverty-stricken areas of Katutura, young people have no choice but to leave home in search of a better life on the streets. Some beg at street corners, traffic lights, intersections and along the streets. Many of these children are hopeless. Some become criminals, snatching bags, cellphones and groceries, that they would re-sell for a quick buck.
The time has come for parents to educate their children at an early stage about self-employment and entrepreneurship. It is the only way we can create jobs and beat poverty.
On the question of what can be done to reduce the gap between the rich and poor, my general opinion is that the government should invest more money on skills development, as it is a vital tool in the fight against poverty and unemployment in Namibia. Skills development is central in the objectives and goals that Namibia wants to achieve as a country to fight poverty, inequality and unemployment.
As a country, we are short of many skills and we need to turn our education system around to be able to respond better to the many skills shortages. Society also needs to shift its bias towards non-university education of vocational training. Unless this is done, our beloved country would suffer for many years to come and many will not live to witness the most-talked about Vision 2030. Eewa
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa