2016-10-24Staff Report 2 Uukwiyu-Uushona - Water woes could soon be a thing of the past for farmers in Uukwiyu-Uushona Constituency after Old Mutual on Friday donated 60 units of water piping to benefit 12 000 people and about 80 000 livestock. The 60 units of piping will cover the remaining six kilometres of the 16-km Omukandu-Oshituntu water pipeline. The pipes are valued at N$234 000, the financial services giant said. Uukwiyu-Uushona Councillor Andreas Amundjindi said the installation of water at Oshituntu will benefit farmers from five other constituencies in Oshana Region. Although the project commenced in 2013 it was challenged by a lack of adequate pipes, heavy rains and the unavailability of funds to remunerate those digging the pipe channels. Speaking on behalf of Old Mutual, its northern area manager Obed Mushaandja said the company was encouraged to support the community because residents had dug the trenches of the remaining distance for laying the pipes. “By investing N$234 000 to procure these water pipes, which are critically needed in this community, we have addressed the plight of 12 000 people, 30 000 large stock and 50 000 small stock which are severely affected by the prevailing drought,” said Mushaandja. Mushaandja made the remarks on behalf of Old Mutual’s executive for marketing, transformation and customer strategy, Ndangi Katoma. According to Mushaandja, the donation is a demonstration of Old Mutual’s commitment to serve the community in which it operates and also to partake in the fight towards alleviating the prevailing drought. “We do this because Old Mutual is a responsible business partner in word and deed, in the transformation agenda of Namibia; and we want to be sure that our country grows and develops competitively on all fronts. We want to add value in the places where our people live in each and every community in Namibia,” said Mushaandja. Oshana’s regional head of rural water supply and sanitation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Justinus Pataka, appealed to the community to promptly report the breakage of pipes. Pataka also applauded Old Mutual for stepping in and appealed to other corporates to emulate the good example. Nickey Edhiya, a farmer in the area, applauded Old Mutual for donating the pipes. According to Edhiya, the area is suffering an acute water shortage and their livestock currently travel vast distances to access water. 2016-10-24Staff Report 2
