WINDHOEK, Aug. 20 — Namibia has launched a new six-month initiative to address the severe impact of a prolonged drought on vulnerable communities in the Kavango West region of the northeastern part of the country.
The project, titled “Building Brighter Tomorrows,” is a collaborative effort between the Commonwealth Heads of Mission (CHoM) in Namibia, the United Nations (UN) Population Fund, and the UN World Food Program (WFP).
“The CHoM in Namibia are proud to support the UN’s ‘Building Brighter Tomorrows’ initiative, bringing vital nutrition, health, and protection to Mpungu’s drought-affected communities,” Yakubu Alhassan, high commissioner for Ghana and dean of the CHoM in Namibia, said in a statement on Monday.
The initiative is specifically targeting the Mpungu Constituency, one of the hardest-hit areas by the country’s ongoing drought, with the primary goal to improve nutrition, health, and protection for children and families.
Between August 2025 and January 2026, the initiative is expected to impact 400 learners at Gava Combined School and 100 community members and service providers by improving nutrition through better school meals and supporting local food production via a Home-Grown School Feeding program.
WFP Country Director and Representative Naouar Labidi said that providing nourishment, health, and protection to children enables them to concentrate on their education.
“Through this partnership, we are investing in the future of Kavango West. By strengthening school meals, local food systems, and community support, we are working to ensure that no child goes hungry,” Labidi said.
The joint partnership builds on the success of a recent UN drought relief operation in Kavango West, Kavango East, and Omaheke, which provided emergency food assistance, nutrition services, and gender-based violence prevention to tens of thousands of Namibians between October 2024 and March 2025. (Xinhua)
