Walvis Bay
The Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare Priscilla Boois says three towns in the northern regions have already been allocated land to set up food banks to feed the poor.
Boois, who is currently on a familiarization visit to the Erongo Region, said that assistance for the establishment of the envisaged food banks has been overwhelming – not only from local authorities but also from the private sector that committed itself to the cause.
The minister said a national dialogue is expected to take place next month in Windhoek, where stakeholders and the government will have roundtable discussions to set up food banks across the country. The long-awaited food banks are set to become a reality this year, following a budget allocation of N$5.5 million.
“That is why I am currently busy with regional visits as we aim to familiarize ourselves with the local structures, while at the same time get first-hand information from our people at grass-roots level. This is actually a fact-finding visit as we seek to engage with our stakeholders on how we will implement the directive from the president,” she assured stakeholders.
She added that through such consultations with the broader public the government wants to transform the initiative so that food banks are in operation as soon as possible.
She then hinted that the national food banks could be launched in August if everything goes according to plan.
“The idea is to have food banks throughout the country. Some towns have already availed land, since we have to collect and store whatever we get for the food banks. Besides that, there must be a central point for distribution in every region and that is why we have embarked on familiarization visits,” she further explained.
“We cannot just sit in the office and wait for figures and numbers – we must physically see how we will execute the plan. People are willing to commit to this cause. Just as our president said, nobody must feel left out,” she added.
However the minister said Namibians should not expect handouts as the food banks will go hand in hand with skills development.
“People will not sit and receive food but they will have to work for it as well. We want to assist our people so that they can also engage themselves in self-sustaining projects, as only then we will be able to eradicate poverty,” she said.