Nuusita Ashipala
ONGWEDIVA – To narrow the development gap between rural and urban areas, there should be renewed focus on rural development programme in the country.
“While rural areas are often known for their lack of basic essential infrastructures and services, they also hold enormous potential which if harnessed and exploited greatly contribute to the realisation of national economic development and poverty eradication in the country,” said the Minister of Urban and Rural Development Peya Mushelenga.
Mushelenga was speaking at the official opening of the annual rural development planning and review workshop on Monday at Eembaxu rural development centre in Eenhana.
Speaking fondly about rural development, Mushelenga said rural areas have the potential to contribute to the realisation of national economic development and poverty eradication in the country.
He said government’s resolutions on addressing poverty in general, rural poverty and under development has been accentuated under the current leadership and was hopeful that the workshop would take stock of the contributions made thus far.
“We are all here because we believe that we should bring about a meaningful change towards improving the livelihood of our fellow Namibians who resides in rural areas, which are least developed and faced more socio-economic challenges than urban areas,” Mushelenga said.
He underscored the commitments to eradicating poverty, which President Hage Geingob made after taking office. The president also called on an Inclusive Namibian House where no one should be left out.
As part of the initiatives undertaken to narrow the rural and urban gap, the rural development policy and strategy seeks to integrate efficiency and effectiveness of sectorial policies in delivering services and improving the living conditions of the rural communities.
The rural and urban development ministry has made great strides to uplift the rural life by creating jobs through rural infrastructure development, he said.
Further, Mushelenga said jobs have also been created through the micro-financing scheme were individual projects have been financed in order to create employment for themselves and others in the community.