Josephina Mwashindange
OMUTHIYA – Twenty-two entrepreneurs from the eleven constituencies in Oshikoto region completed a two-day training at Okashana Rural Development Centre. The training was organised by the Oshikoto Regional Council through the University of Namibia (Unam) Small Business Development Centre.
The regional council has also assisted micro small and medium business enterprises (MSMEs) with seed capital that will be used to upgrade their businesses, with amounts ranging between N$50 000 and N$80 000 per project depending on the budget.
“The Oshikoto Regional Council made a commitment to train micro small and medium enterprises in the region in basic business management skills because they lack business knowledge such as business registrations and bookkeeping, amongst others,” said Elizabeth Katumbe, the chief development planner.
MSMEs must apply through their constituency offices and the constituency development committees recommend them to the council for funding. The funding programme includes rural employment schemes, food security and nutrition. The youth are encouraged to frequently visit constituency offices as well as the regional council to inquire about the availability of funding opportunities.
Beneficiaries used to be trained at the Rural Development Centre in Ongwediva, however, due to current budgetary constraints they were invited to Okashana Rural Development Centre so that the officials can emulate the Unam centre and be able to train them in future.
Aimwata emphasised that SMEs are the backbone of the Namibian economy, hence the need for training so that they can grasp the basic knowledge and skills on how to run and grow their businesses.
The participants have applauded the regional council for its efforts, saying the training was indeed informative and educational.
“I had little knowledge on registering a business as well as on statutory regulatory issues especially when it comes to Inland Revenue obligations. I learned so much from this training and my business process will change for the better in so many ways,” said Johanna Pendapala Shikomba who does poultry farming and vegetable gardening.
Another participant Erastus Kanime, who owns and has been running a salon for two years, said his business is now more in demand especially during the wedding season when bridesmaids flock in for their make-up or to do their hair.
The training, he says, has equipped him with the necessary skills on how to effectively run a successful business while at the same time attending to customers’ needs.
Training facilitator Nathaniel Haukongo reminded the entrepreneurs to remember they should strive not to remain MSMEs forever and make sure that their business is successfully elevated.
“Most MSMEs do not grow because they do not have access to finance. If you are an MSME and you want to grow, you have to create a record with the bank,” advised Haukongo.
*Josephina Mwashindange is an information officer in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology based in Omuthiya in the Oshikoto region.