Over 11 000 families, including 50 000 food insecure Namibians, have benefited from the rollout of the food banks in all 14 regions, President Hage Geingob said yesterday. 

“Despite our slow economic growth, Namibia has created an enabling environment for the most vulnerable members of society as we continue to work to combat poverty and hunger,” said the head of state on the occasion of International Day for the Eradication of
Poverty.  

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed on October 17 since 1993, when the United Nations General Assembly designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. 

 Geingob said interventions such as social safety nets, which provide monthly old-age social grants, disability grants, and grants for orphans and the vulnerable, are a testament to the government’s efforts in eradicating poverty.

 “The government has also recently launched the Social Protection Policy reaching one million Namibians, which includes grants for people with disability, old age pensions, vulnerable children and orphans, contributing to poverty reduction by strengthening social safety nets across the life cycle,” he said.  

“Together, we can build a united society guided by our motto of ‘no Namibian should feel left out’ and live in a society in which all Namibians fight against hunger, poverty, and inequality.” 

When he assumed office in 2015, Geingob declared war on poverty and in an effort to fight it, the old-age pension was doubled from N$600 in 2016 to N$1 200 benefitting over 180 000 pensioners, with a multiplier effect running into hundreds of thousands more beneficiaries. 

The old-age pension grant is now N$1 300 per month. 

psiririka@nepc.com.na

Anti-poverty… President Hage Geingob.

Photo: Presidency