BERSEBA – British High Commissioner to Namibia Charles Moore has said the Berseba integrated community-based food system project in the //Kharas region has the potential to grow and ensure food security for the community of Berseba and surrounding areas.
“Food security is probably one of the most important issues in Namibia. There are too many people who do not have food security, too many who are starving, and that is because of drought caused by poor rains. So, teaching the youth about food sustainability is vital because we cannot rely on the weather to feed us every year,” he observed during a visit last week.
The project started in 2021, and is supported through the World Food Programme (WFP), the
//Kharas governor’s office, and the Berseba Village Council.
WFP Deputy Country Director Ericah Shafudah said the aim of the project is to improve food security, diversify diets, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the community of Berseba through skills development, job-creation, the provision of infrastructure and good governance.
“For this project to be successful, the governance structure should be clear. This is where we need the leadership to ensure that there is a structure in place – be it a cooperative or a close corporation – because developers will want to support a project where there are no fights and the future is guaranteed,” she said.
“One day, support from the development parties will cease, but we would not want the project to die. So, the youth should work together and put up a structure to ensure that our support is not in vain,” Shafudah urged.
Berseba Village Council chairperson Felicia Motinga said the project has not only improved the skills of those involved, but has motivated the community of the village to start backyard gardening to produce their own vegetables.
“This garden has also changed the lifestyles of our people, as they now eat more vegetables. It also gives us joy that our young people are really involved. They have taken ownership amidst all the challenges, and as the leadership, we will continue to support wherever we can,” she added.
The 3.5 hectare land was donated by the village council, and currently four varieties of crops are planted – beetroot, spinach, tomatoes and butternut.
The project has five volunteers.
Recently, poultry was added. The project thus has 499 chickens used for laying purposes, which can lay up to 300 eggs a day.
– Nampa