Zebaldt Ngaruka
OKOVIMBURU – A community garden in Epukiro, in Omaheke region, which is under the patronage of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority (OTA), is helping to ward off food insecurity and malnutrition in the constituency as well as the entire region.
Omaheke, which is one of the regions battling malnutrition and hunger, has embarked on a drive to empower the region’s women farmers and young producers with the ultimate objective of alleviating hunger.
Farmer Rukee Moelanjane, the garden’s project manager, said during a recent community meeting at Omaueuozonjanda the project serves as a long-term solution to food insufficiency and job creation for the community’s youth.
The garden is in Okovimburu settlement in the Epukiro constituency, and is funded by the Namibia Traditional Authority Trust, commonly known as Ohompa. The trust, in conjunction with the OTA, has invested more than N$650000 in the project.
The project manager said work had already started on a one-and-a-half-hectare piece of land, where a borehole had also been drilled to ensure adequate water supplies to the garden.
Moelanjane was quick to dispel notions that the garden is exclusively for the Ovambanderu people, saying it is for all inhabitants of the constituency and Omaheke region.
“Ovambanderu people are interlinked with other tribes, and we would like this garden to continue benefitting all Namibians, irrespective of tribe. Our purpose is to address all community needs. We will soon need a lot of people for de-bushing and preference will be given to the youth, especially from the San community. I encourage them to apply.”
During phase one (2024-2026), the project aims to address the challenges faced by rural communities in accessing nutritious and affordable food by implementing a comprehensive food security and focus on food production.
It will further empower communities through training and capacity-building and providing them with the necessary resources to enhance and diversify agricultural practices and improve food production.
The manager said on completion, the garden will supply schools, clinics, widowers and women-headed households.
The project’s phase two (2027-2040) will focus on the production of fodder for sustenance of the community’s livestock.
“We will embark on fodder-processing to diversify sustainable agricultural practices,” he said.
Moelanjane said these goals will be determined by availability of funds either from the trust or donors and the government.
Another focus area will be to enlist the services of experienced agricultural technicians in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of agricultural development projects at Okovimburu.
-zngaruka@yahoo.com