KATIMA MULILO – Urban and rural development deputy minister Eveline Nawases-Taeyele has applauded the Buy-a-Brick initiative, saying it focuses on addressing the causes of inequality at a time when Namibians are faced with an acute housing shortage.
Nawases-Taeyele, who handed over 23 houses at Bukalo in the Zambezi region on Tuesday, said the Buy-a-Brick initiative complements the housing shortage that the country faces.
“Decent housing means shelter against the rain and winds, warmth from the cold and safety for families. Today, we are here to witness another successful construction of houses, funded through the Buy-a-Brick initiative, and I urge you all to continue encouraging all our citizens to become Buy-a-Brick ambassadors.
This partnership between Standard Bank and the Shack Dwellers’ Federation of Namibia (SDFN) strongly speaks to enhancing our country’s Harambee Prosperity Plan 2, the National Development Plan 5 and our nation’s Vision 2030,” she noted.
Particularly, she thanked the private sector, especially Standard Bank and other partners who joined the struggle to alleviate the housing challenge of people, and for addressing affordable land and shelter issues in the country.
To successfully address this growing demand for adequate housing, she suggested that there are needed efforts, such as those displayed by the SDFN, along with partnerships involving government, the private sector and non-governmental organisations as a whole.
“We shall, therefore, continue to bring economic and infrastructural development to our disadvantaged communities through programmes, such as the decentralised Built Together; urban and rural housing loan, and other informal settlement programmes. Homes give families a secure place to live, and a social position in society. For these reasons, it is crucial that we continue to support efforts aimed at providing housing to our people,” she indicated.
Therefore, Nawases-Taeyele called on all members of the SDFN and the Namibia Housing Action Group to continue with their hard work, and never to feel that they are alone in their fight.
By supporting initiatives like this, she believes many citizens can live in decent structures, as opposed to shacks and the makeshift structures that some of them live in today, especially in informal settlements.
She also thanked Standard Bank chief executive Erwin Tjipuka and his predecessors for mobilising the business sector around the Buy-a-Brick initiative.
“We must continue to be our brothers’ keepers as demonstrated by the Buy-a-Brick initiative. This is an example of the public-private partnership that we, as the government, continue to advocate. We must ensure that it expands from just the housing initiative to other sectors, where our people also need assistance.
I also call on the beneficiary communities to continue their assistance of this initiative by lending their time and energy in digging the trenches and laying the foundations that are required to construct these houses,” she continued.
Furthermore, she called on the leadership of the Bukalo Village Council to continue allocating land to the federation, while imploring all homeowners to maintain their houses, and pay for their housing loans and for council’s services. “Only when you pay your part can other people in the community be assisted.”
The beneficiaries, upon receiving their new homes, said moving into these residences is not merely a sentimental moment but also a restoration of their dignity as equals in society.
– anakale@nepc.com.na