Zambezi region governor Lawrence Sampofu, during his recent state of the region address (SORA), said the region is working towards meeting its basic human needs through different offices, ministries and government agencies to provide services to residents of the region.
Sampofu said, through his office, there have been some development programmes funded in partnership with NAMSOV Community Trust and with assistance from Fishcor.

He said, “2019/2020 has seen a number of projects that were approved and funded to the tune of N$1 082 678.65. We have, among our community, people who are committed to working hard.” 
He noted water facilities were provided at Lizauli and Sanandwa Village in Judea Lyabboloma Constituency, Likandango and Masibi villages, as well as Kabbe North constituency. Projects, ranging from vegetable gardens, poultry, small stock and livestock farming, as approved by constituency offices for funding, have been funded during the year under review. The projects are operational in seven constituencies.  
“With regard to rural water supply, the regional council made a budgetary provision of N$399 000 to supply water to three constituencies of Kabbe North, Kabbe South and Katima Rural, and a total 13 boreholes were drilled in these constituencies and fitted with solar technology,” he said. 

The region also rehabilitated 21 boreholes in different constituencies and all are currently functional. A number of villages were supplied with piped water through this scheme. 
“This was done at a cost of N$3 million provided through the Office of the Prime Minister,” he said. 
Under the same programme, the Zambezi region also received N$19. 2 million for the provision of water to various communities.
“About 35 boreholes were drilled in different constituencies and all are or will be fitted with solar technology. This programme is still underway,” he said.  

He noted, the region through the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture provided water to 10 schools that had no access to water by drilling boreholes, stating that all these boreholes were fitted with solar technology and the programme is still ongoing. 
“Under rural sanitation, the region received an amount of N$3 million for the provision of rural sanitation facilities. A total of 100 Amalooloo precast structures were procured for distribution in different constituencies,” further stated the governor.
“Furthermore, 234 toilets will be decommissioned and reallocated to new beneficiaries within our constituencies,” he elaborated.
Reporting on education, the governor reported the Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture, with the technical assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP), currently provides a school feeding programme as a social protection safety net, which is aimed at ending hunger and improving nutrition. “In 2019, N$10 377 734 was budgeted for this programme and a total number of 26 094 learners in all primary and combined schools have benefitted from this programme,” he said.

Sampofu, during the SORA, noted that one of the vehicles in ensuring social progression is through improved sanitation at schools. “The directorate, with the technical and financial support from UNICEF, has introduced School Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) in primary and combined schools in the region. This is a way of improving sanitation in schools and ensuring the region becomes open defecation free,” he said.
On disaster risk management, the regional drought relief food benefited 2 532 households.

“The additional regional drought relief food beneficiaries/households for the comprehensive program were 5 770, resulting in a total of 8 302 beneficiaries after the drought declaration by the President of the Republic of Namibia,” he noted.
The number of drought relief food beneficiaries/households per constituency were: Kabbe South (771), Kabbe North (926), Katima Rural (1 385), Kongola (684), Linyanti (713), Judea Lyabboloma (618), Sibbinda (1 105) and San (2 100). 
– jmuyamba@nepc.com.na