WINDHOEK – The Chinese provincial government of Zheijang has come to the rescue of a crop farm that is one of the projects in which the Namibian First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba is involved.
Vice-Governor of the Zheijang Province in China, Huang Xuming, was at State House yesterday, where he donated N$750 000 to buy three tractors for the farm and her other agricultural projects . First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba was happy, saying she was worried that government would demand its land back from her projects because the land is not being fully utilised.
The specific crop farm, managed through the Organization for the Empowerment of Widows and Widowers and Orphans of HIV in Namibia (OEWONA) covering 130.26 hectares, was donated to OEWONA by the government in 2010. It is situated between Otavi and Grootfontein in Otjozondjupa Region.
Handing the cheque to the first lady, Huang said he learned about the project that the first lady initiated and was impressed by the impact it has on the various communities, especially in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and the empowerment of rural women.
Huang encouraged Pohamba to continue with her work in the community, saying that through the diplomatic relations that his country and Namibia enjoy, the Chinese government would continue supporting Madam Pohamba where it can.
Madam Pohamba was overwhelmed by the gesture, saying although she visited China last December where she had an opportunity to tour various women projects she did not expect a donation of that kind so soon. She said the donation came at the right time for OEWONA which has land in Otjozondjupa, Zambezi, Ohangwena and Kavango regions for the empowerment of women and orphans of HIV and AIDS in the country. She explained that the output from such farms has been very insignificant due to a shortage of adequate financial resources and farm implements such as tractors.
Madam Pohamba said the Otavifontein farm which was handed to OEWONA in 2010 also faced the risk of being taken back by the government because of underutilization of land. “We were worried so much, that the land would be taken from us but with this donation, I can assure you that the land will be there for us, forever,” she beamed. Currently the farm has 882 fruit trees, and farming has been done using tractors from neighbours and good Samaritans.
By Tonateni Shidhudhu