The sports ministry and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) yesterday joined efforts to help fast track the conducting, implementation and eventual promulgating of the long-awaited Namibia Sport Development Index (NSDI).

The GIZ yesterday officially handed over 52 laptops to the ministry and more than 1 600 copies of Sport4Life manuals, which the ministry’s team will be using to carry out the household survey on sport, physical activity and physical education during their community interactions.  

The laptops are already preloaded with special data collection software developed to assist in conducting and collecting data for the NSDI. 

The Sport4Life manuals also provide insightful information on many other codes such as basketball, football, netball and volleyball. The donated laptops and manuals are worth over N$1.8 million.

The NSDI survey and the data that will be collected is aimed at helping the country get proper and updated statistics on the overall status of sport, especially on how sport is perceived by the locals.

This will determine the accessibility to all Namibians, and also streamline those statistics with the various national development plans such as the fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) and the Harambee Prosperity Plan 2.

Furthermore, information from the NSDI survey will also complement the policy on Integrated Physical Education and School Sports that is currently being developed. 

Receiving the donated gadgets, sports minister Agnes Tjongarero yesterday said the laptops and manuals represent a major donation towards the Sport4Development project the ministry and the GIZ have been collaborating with for several years now. 

“We remain very grateful and hope it will lead to the continued uptake of physical and sporting activities in the country. The laptops and the manuals will give our educators and trainers the necessary equipment and content to develop sports in all our regions.” 

- ohembapu@nepc.com.na