With the current issues and events happening in the country, we still have a drought ripping through the land, something that the whole nation should help with as it affects everyone. Everyone has an obligation and part to play in solving and minimising the impact of the drought.
It’s fair to mention that the drought is a natural disaster and as such no one is responsible for causing it; it doesn’t help to point fingers and play the blame game right now, if anything it’s God’s workings.
Since as a nation we mostly come together in times of celebration and times of distress, this drought will require everybody’s input – from the young ones, the youthful ones, right to the older members of society.
The state has been doing a great job with this drought. It has gotten so bad that the president had to declare a state of emergency. We are all in this together and for the benefit of everyone; we will all need to play our part to come out in good shape.
The people severely affected are those in the northern regions, that heavily depend on farming activities for survival. With water already being a scarce resource, it is of paramount importance for the people, especially the youth, to conserve and use that resource wisely and effectively.
Not all youths are employed so they can’t voluntarily contribute the two percent asked by the government. However, they can still assist the efforts of the government, firstly by not getting in the way of those who are going above and beyond to help those in need and maybe, more importantly, assisting them where they can to carry out their work.
To the older members of society, they are the guardians of the nation, guarding the history of the country; as such they should educate the youth and young ones as most of them have never lived through or experienced a drought before; their knowledge and experience will come in handy in these tough times.
It’s important to keep in mind that we are on the same team and are all affected, from the animals we keep on our farms, the flour, and maize we buy in the store, right down to the water we pay for at our local municipalities. Young or old, the drought does not discriminate.
It is unfortunate that this had to happen, but it’s here and ripping through the country; all we have do is deal with it and pray for the best.
*Olavi Popyeinawa has a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia. He writes on youth matters. Find him on Instagram: olavi_popyeinawa, Facebook: Olavi Popyeinawa and Twitter: @ OlaviPopyeinawa