2015-04-23Staff Report 2 OKADHIYA KOSHUUMBA - The San community of Okadhiya Koshuumba is pleading with government to electrify their village in order to create job opportunities for them to become self-sufficient. Okadhiya Koshuumba is in Elim Constituency in the Omusati Region. At the moment, most San-speaking people spend their days drinking ‘tombo’ (a potent homebrew) and beer at the local shebeen, a situation they feel could change for the better once their village is electrified. Speaking from a shebeen where they were found imbibing the local brew, they related the inherent talents they have although they have not been through formal education. “We can set up a barber shop or a salon or even get to do welding. You don’t have to have gone through formal education to make a living,” said Jeremia Kambwali. At present, the only San that are better off run cuca-shops selling ‘tombo’, leaving the majority of the villagers in a stupor, most of the time. “All we do now is to get drunk, there is nothing to do here. At least now we have water but we need electricity too. We are tired of being called vulnerable,” related Kambwali. The community said it has done a lot to transform their lives from constructing proper structured houses, sending their children to school and even ploughing their fields. In addition, the San-speaking people are pleading with the government to build toilets in their village for the elderly. Currently, no toilets have been built for the elderly people as well as for the people living with disabilities. Elim Constituency councillor Gerhard Shiimi, however, said toilets have already been constructed in the area. In addition, a shelter has also been built from where the elderly can receive their pensions. The councillor could not state exactly when the place will be electrified, but he revealed that there are plans to have it electrified. “Electrifying the place has been put on hold now because the policy says that schools are the top priority to be electrified. However, if we secure funds then perhaps we can have it electrified,” said Shiimi. The constituency councillor encouraged community members to buy their own transformers. 2015-04-23Staff Report 2
