Selma Gumbo
Three conservancies in the Kunene region have received solar-powered boreholes courtesy of the Environment Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) in collaboration with the environment ministry and Green Climate Fund. The borehole water will be used for human consumption as well as for wildlife, especially elephants that roam freely in the area. The three conservancies that have benefited from the initiative are #Khoadi //Hoas, Doro !Nawas and !Khoro !Goreb all in the Khorixas constituency. The projects are funded to the tune of about N$5.1 million. The three boreholes will also help farmers to produce their own food. In fact some farmers are already active and are producing vegetables and fruits at a big scale for the Khorixas market. At a farm like Rooisand and Midlepost of !Khoro !Hores, the gardens are visible where they even sell pumpkins, vegetable and watermelons to other community members and transport some to Khorixas to sell at the town’s open market. Ingrid Guidao-oas, who is a committee member of the !Khoro !Goreb conservancy, said they are very delighted to do gardening as means of food production as they will now use the boreholes to water their gardens since the region has been hard hit by drought.
*Selma Gumbo is an Information Officer working for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in Kunene region