MARIENTAL - Hardap regional governor Salomon April was happy to announce that 757 permanent positions have been secured for the younger population of his region since his last state of the region address (Sora) last year.
Speaking at Mariental earlier this week during this year’s Sora, he said these employment opportunities came through the education ministry, the Mariental municipality and also with the reopening of the Farmers Meat Market in the region.
“This is a demonstration that the economy of the region can be revived if we take hands and work together,” he observed.
April said these efforts have been supplemented by recruitment drives at a national level, for example in the Police, Correctional Services and Namibian Defence Force.
He added that since the construction of the Kai //Ganaxab Vocational Training Centre is completed and the site handed back to government, it can now train 300 students per annum, in addition to accommodating 160 students in the hostel.
Further touching on education, he said a total number of 28 551 learners are currently enrolled in schools in the region, which reflects an increase of 542 learners from last year’s enrolment statistics.
“A total of 47 children living and working in the streets in Mariental were reintegrated back into schools,” added the governor.
The number of learners qualifying for the Advance Subsidiary (AS) level education curriculum also improved from 7.8% to 15.6% during the period 2020-2022.
In terms of agriculture, he said commercial farmland, which makes up 75% of the total area of the region, has the potential to be an agricultural hub of the country.
“However, due to the recent drought outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic, farmers felt the immense pressure on livestock and crop production.”
April informed those present that in order to ensure increased production, the agriculture ministry has developed the Harambee Comprehensively Coordinated and Integrated Agriculture Development Programme, aimed at facilitating market access to small and medium agricultural producers and agro-processors as a means of stimulating sustainable agricultural production and productivity.
He commended development partners such as the World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNDP-BBB, RISE, AgriBank, RISE-Namibia, the Lutheran Church and the German development agency for contributing to food security in the region through training, provision of farming implements and mentorship.
“The farmer field school, which was supported by the FAO, has trained 40 women in different concepts of horticulture production for a period of four months. This initiative will be rolled out throughout the region”, April announced.
The governor then praised the Hardap regional chairperson and councillors for the spirit in which they continuously foster unity of purpose, coherence and collaboration.
- sklukowski@nepc.com.na