Stefanus Nambara

NKURENKURU- Some among the hundreds of drought relief beneficiaries in Ncamagoro Constituency in Kavango West have urged government to increase the number of maize meal bags distributed to them as part of the drought relief food rations.

They want the tinned fish rations being distributed in their constituency as part of the drought relief package to be substituted with the staple food of maize meal.
The beneficiaries say that the one bag of maize meal which they receive is not enough to survive from as a family and it does not last for long.

Elias Vaendwanawa Nghinyangerwa a beneficiary from Casava village who stays with his two children and two grandchildren says the government must increase the maize meal bags instead of distributing the cooking oil and tins of sardine.

“Make at least five bags and maybe take out the cooking oil and tins of fish, maybe that would be better,” suggested the father of two children.

Nghinyangerwa says the drought rations they are receiving are insufficient enough as they do not last for a week considering they need at least a meal of lunch and dinner.  

He revealed because of the insufficiency of the maize meal drought-hit villagers have come up with a coping measure by skipping lunch and only cooking supper.

Another beneficiary who expressed similar sentiments is Annastacia Karupu from Mpora village. “I think we only cooked for a week long b before our rations get finished,” Karupu stated.
“The government must increase the maize bags to at least three,” she suggested.
The beneficiaries, however, praised government for being compassionate saying they are well looked after especially now that the country is in the throes of a recurrent drought described as one of the worst in recent years.

The food rations provided by the government comprise of one bag of 12.5 kilogram of maize meal, one bottle of 750 milliliters of cooking oil and four tins of 400 grams of fish.

* Stefanus Nambara is an information officer in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) at Nkurenkuru in Kavango West