Auleria Wakudumo 

Kavango East has the highest number of barefoot children in Namibia. The region has over 14 000 children, mostly school-going learners walking to school without shoes, followed by the Ohangwena region. 

This was revealed by Project Never Walk Alone after unveiling its three-year strategic plan to restore the dignity of 31 500 barefooted children nationwide by providing shoes over the next three years, at a total cost of N$12.9 million. 

In a press release, Project Never Walk Alone announced that this year, they will target 10 000 pupils in the Oshana, //Kharas, Otjozondjupa, and Omusati regions who have not benefitted from the initiative before. 

Each region will receive 2 500 pairs of shoes, with each batch costing N$980 000, bringing the total budget for 2026 to N$3.9 million. 

In 2027, the initiative will focus on regions with the largest barefoot populations. Ohangwena, Kavango West, and Kunene will each receive 2 500 pairs, while Kavango East will receive 4 000 pairs due to its higher need. The budget for this year totals N$4.6 million, with Kavango East’s allocation costing N$1.6 alone. 

By 2028, the project aims to assist 10 000 learners in Ohangwena, Khomas, Kavango East, and Hardap, with 2 500 pairs allocated per region at a cost of N$1.1 million each, totalling N$4.4 million for the year. 

Project Never Walk Alone continues to give hope to vulnerable children and keep them in school. The project has already provided shoes to 12 750 children across Hardap (970), Omaheke (1 291), Khomas (1 853), Erongo (1 058), Kavango East (1 355), Kavango West (1 200), Kunene (1 823), Ohangwena (1 000), and Zambezi (2 200). 

In 2023, Oshikuni Primary School in the Ohangwena region benefitted from the initiative, with learners and teachers noting improvements in attendance, morale, and engagement. 

Some learners expressed that they used to walk five kilometres barefoot to school every day. 

The school principal, Aarde Mwoongeli, explained the impact shoes have on learners. She added that learners struggle to attend school during winter. 

The project emphasises that lack of shoes affects not only school attendance but also the confidence and overall well-being of children. 

The project is appealing to all sectors of the economy, particularly the fishing and mining industries, to support the initiative and help children step confidently toward their future. 

– awakudumo@nepc.com.na