Ongwediva
Fifteen income-generating projects in the Oshana Region received equipment and material from the Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare (MGCW) worth over N$500 000.
Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Lucia Witbooi handed over the items last week.
The items included chicken feed, water pipes, kindergarten chairs and tables and timber, among others.
According to Witbooi, the machinery and equipment that were handed over to the beneficiaries came from the MGCW fund, which provides start-up grants in the form of materials and equipment to community members who come up with viable proposals to participate in Income Generating Activities (IGAs).
“I was informed that the majority of the beneficiaries are women. I was also informed that beneficiaries will be engaged in various types of IGAs ranging from poultry, hair salons, welding, piggery, furniture manufacturing, tailoring, restaurants and printing,” stated the gender equality deputy minister.
“Before I hand over these materials to beneficiaries, I wish to draw their attention to the fact that they must have listened to His Excellency [Hage Geingob], the President of Namibia when he delivered the State of the Nation Address in March this year, and on many other occasions when he clearly declared war against poverty,” said Witbooi.
“Thus, the handing over of equipment and materials to IGAs is part of the declaration by the President on war against poverty,” she further explained. She maintained that government is committed to providing equipment materials to IGAs, through her ministry, as a means to assist IGAs owners and manager to start or improve their micro-business, create self-employment and employment of others in order to earn income and become economically independent.
The deputy minister has thus urged IGAs to work hard using the given equipment to grow their businesses from small to medium and eventually into bigger businesses that would generate more money. Witbooi urged constituency offices to start monitoring the progress of the IGAs, as they contribute to household food security, poverty reduction within the constituency and to community wellbeing through services, which they will be providing.
“Please support these projects and look into their needs. Give them access to markets where they can sell their goods and services. This can be done in coordination with Ministry [of Gender and Child Welfare] staff in the region and with any other bodies that can play a supportive role in the growth of income-generating projects within this region,” said Witbooi.