Govt commited to rooting out hunger: Kameeta

WINDHOEK, 29 NOV – The Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare has been distributing food on regular intervals to about 17 000 beneficiaries under the Food Bank Programme.
The programme is active in the Khomas, //Kharas, Hardap, Kavango East and Kavango West regions, while it is expected to be rolled out to the Ohangwena, Kunene and Zambezi regions by the end of this year.
This was revealed by the line minister, Zephania Kameeta in a Parliamentary speech issued on Thursday, in which he highlighted the progress of the programmes and projects.
Kameeta said in order to improve the efficiency of the programme, the ministry, in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme has launched the SCOPE system, a computer-based system used for the registration and identification of beneficiaries when collecting food parcels, while also making provision for reporting, monitoring and evaluation.
He also noted that the ministry is coordinating the country’s Zero Hunger Strategy as part of Namibia’s commitment to the implementation of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger.
“By coordinating the implementation of the Zero Hunger Strategy, the ministry ensures that sustainable food provision and food production systems are put in place and are effectively implemented,” he said.
Implementing stakeholders for the Zero Hunger Strategic Roadmap have submitted their action plans and a monitoring and evaluation framework has been developed.
The minister further said despite the ministry’s achievements in addressing hunger, the majority of the rural population and those living in informal settlements of cities and towns are deprived of basic needs such as food, housing, water, sanitation and education.
Kameeta noted that such people, who are classified as living in extreme poverty, need urgent intervention, calling on Namibians to play an active role in addressing these issues.
“Fellow Namibians, let us all join hands and have faith that indeed together we shall see a Namibia where no one goes to bed hungry; and that each Namibian has access to a decent shelter, clean drinking water and proper sanitation,” he said.
He further said his ministry has, as a means to address the matter, established a donation account, where organisations and individuals can donate money that will be used to address these issues.
The account is also aimed at assisting more long-term sustainable poverty eradication initiatives, with minimum bureaucracy.
Kameeta said these projects range from agricultural food production projects, income generating projects, water provision, education and provision of decent shelter to those living in extreme poverty.
“By the end of this financial year, the ministry, through the donation account, will assist three water provision projects in the Ohangwena, Kunene and Omaheke regions respectively, two agricultural projects in the Kunene Region and the construction of a decent shelter for a destitute family in the Khomas Region,” he said.- NAMPA