Josephina Mwashindange
OMUTHIYAGWIIPUNDI – Okashana rural development centre in the heart of Oshikoto region is a manufacturer of different machineries that are currently on demand and useful in the community. The centre is proactively capacitating rural communities, primarily in Oshikoto region and the neighbouring regions to improve the standard and quality of life by improving people’s access to services, benefits and the use of appropriate technology.
“A lot of people do not know what Okashana RDC does, especially on machineries, we are therefore creating awareness of what we do when it comes to products and services we offer,” said Taimi Mushi, the senior community liaison officer at the centre.
As a rural development centre, she noted, their focus is mainly on manufacturing diesel machineries in order to accommodate everyone, because in most cases electricity pose as a challenge in the rural areas. However, they also produce electrical machines.
Some of the appropriate technology machinery manufactured at Okashana RDC includes hammer mills, threshers, animal feed crushers, juice pressers as well as feeding and drinking troughs. The prices of the manufactured machines are subsidised by the Namibian government, ranging from N$18 000 to N$72 000 depending on what the customer wants.
There are some of the machines that are mostly in demand such as the hammer mills.
Besides machinery manufacturing, the centre also provides accommodation, conference facilities, and offers outreach services to rural communities in and around Oshikoto region.
The activities within the centre focuses on food production, while emphasising strongly on improved rural sanitation, horticulture production, poultry and piggery.
In a nutshell, Okashana rural development is one of the three rural development centres of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. The centre falls under the auspices of the Oshikoto Regional Council and it is situated 10 kilometres south east of Omuthiya town along the D3646 road toward King Nehale Gate of the Etosha National Park.
*Josephina Mwashindange is an Information Officer in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in the Oshikoto region.