WINDHOEK – The government of Finland through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs has committed aid of about N$7 million to the Community Based Outreach among Elderly Project initiated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCIN).
The Community Based Outreach among Elderly Project is a joint social responsibility capacity building project of ELCIN and the social and health care service provider, the Helsinki Deaconess Institute (HDI) in Finland
The project is a joint social responsibility capacity building project intending to address marginalised communities that have elders that do not have family to take care of them or are left to raise grandchildren by themselves.
Providing health care, food and essential basic services the project will run over a period of three years. Six pilot communities have been identified, namely, Swakopmund, Havana and Kilimanjaro communities in Windhoek, Nkurenkuru in the north-east of the country as well as Engela and Tsandi in the northern parts of the country.
ELCIN programme director Gerson Neliwa said the main aim of the group is to build capacity so that after the three-year funding agreement is over they can continue with their work. He further noted that alongside the project for the elderly there will also be a project aimed at addressing marginalised youth.
“Once the three-year funding is over should there be additional funding we will implement more projects but we are looking at capacity building,” said Neliwa.