Memory Mutenda
Windhoek-Close to 32 young people who were involved in a garden project in Dordabis a village 80 kilometres East of Windhoek, have abandoned the project for the streets. The project was the initiative of the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service to create employment for the youth.
The project was handed to 32 young people in 2002 to enable them to generate own income by producing and selling of vegetables, as Dordabis has a high unemployment rate and the majority live in poverty.
Veronika Gomxos is the only one left to run the project out of the 32 youth that started. The project has now became Veronika’s baby as she does everything from watering to selling the produce.
“I joined the project when I was 17 years old with 32 other young people from Dordabis, but all of them left and I was the only one left to run the project,” she says.
Veronika runs the project on her own with assistance from the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service, which provides seeds, gardening tools and transport to take her produce to sell in Windhoek.
“I sell my produce in Windhoek at the Government Parks offices, Khomas Regional Council and those that pass by in Dordabis. With the money I generate from the vegetables, I buy seeds, materials for the garden and my own things,” she said.
The garden is filled with ready-to-harvest vegetables, such as tomatoes, parsley, onions, cabbage, and lettuce.
Veronika also doubles as a caretaker of people living with HIV/AIDS in the community.
A sewing project, known as Ada Khaibasen clothing, was also started by a group of 10 women and is currently being run by only four women, as the rest dropped out. “They left because we don’t make monthly income, as the income fluctuates depending on the clothing we have sold,” said Albertina Visser, a member of the Ada Khaibasen clothing project.
* Memory Mutenda is an information officer at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) based in Windhoek.