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Nawa 3 |
Jun 18 2001 |
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LAUNCH OF PARLIAMENT ONLINE
 www.parliament.gov.na
As of 3:00 p.m., May 31, 2001, the people of Namibia can go on-line to learn about their Parliament, view pending legislation, the minutes of meetings, budget proposals, and read and access a wide variety of documents. Importantly, they can also use the system to make their voices heard. Easy access is provided for e-mail communications to the Parliament on current issues and `chat rooms`, where Parliament and civil society can interact, have been set up. |
 Namibia has an information and communications infrastructure unsurpassed by almost any nation in Africa, giving Parliament-Online enormous potential to bring the Parliament closer to the people. Information can be obtained and comments given anytime and from any location. This is particularly important in view of Namibia`s geographic size and scattered population. In providing for greater information flows and dialogue across the political spectrum, this new service helps solidify Namibia`s young democracy. Through Parliament-Online, government can become more transparent to its people and, as important, the needs of the people will become more evident to the Government, facilitating mutual understanding and peaceful adjustments within legally proscribed channels. In other words, Parliament-Online contributes to the vibrancy and stability of democracy in Namibia. USAID congratulates the Namibian Parliament and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs on the launch of this exciting new tool and looks forward to working together in the future to assure that civil society and average Namibian citizens have the access necessary for the website to achieve its potential. |
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FIRST VENTURE CAPITAL SEMINAR IN NAMIBIA
 USAID/Namibia, in partnership with USAID/Washington`s Office of Credit and Investment, hosted a two-day Southern African regional seminar on Venture Capital for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Windhoek, May 30-31, 2001. |
| The Seminar, officially opened by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Hidipo Hamutenya and USAID/Namibia Director, Diana Swain, was well attended by representatives from the private sector, government, donor agencies and NGOs from Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. According to the seminar presenter and facilitator, Tom Gibson, of the Washington DC-based Institute of SME Finance, venture capital is an important financing instrument for new, attractive and innovative businesses, particularly in the SME sector, as it brings both financial and management resources, skills and expertise which the entrepreneur may otherwise not posses or access from the normal commercial banking sector. One of the important lessons learned from the seminar is the understanding of the role of government and private equity fund institutions in the establishment of venture capital funds. It was noted that venture capital industries flourish more and succeed if government puts up the initial support (puts up own money at risk) and this is then used to leverage private monies, thereby making investment more attractive for the private sector. The feedback received from the seminar participants has been positive. We hope that a discussion on venture capital in Namibia will continue between government and the private sector and, beyond that, lead to the establishment of a venture capital industry to benefit the SME sector in Namibia. Our thanks to local co-sponsors: Bank Windhoek, NIB-Namibia and the Institute of Bankers. |
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GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES
 Do we have our own budding Michael Schumacher? When the dust had cleared and while the smell of high-octane fuel still hung in the air, Ivan Podewiltz, one of USAID/Namibia`s drivers, was pronounced the winner of the Westbank Oval Challenge Private Race on April 28, 2001. |
| He achieved the victory in a borrowed car that was out-powered by most of the other vehicles in the field. He had only his driving skills to rely on. Well done Ivan! We hope to see many more trophies coming your way. |
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PEER EDUCATORS WORKSHOP ON STDS/HIV-AIDS
With the support of USAID, Family Health International (FHI), and its local partners: AIDS Care Trust and the Chamber of Mines, are initiating programs to increase the training skills and STD/HIV-AIDS knowledge of workplace peer educators. |
| In a Workshop for Trainers of Peer Educators on STD/HIV-AIDS held at the NamPower Conference Center from June 4-8, eighteen workplace trainers practiced participatory training methodologies and reinforced their knowledge about HIV transmission, prevention and care. Participants were employees charged with training peer educators in their various workplaces — NamPower, Namwater, Municipality of Windhoek, Namibia Transport & Allied Workers Union (NATAU) and Namibian Men Planned Parenthood Network (NAMPPAN). Perhaps one of the most valuable parts of the workshop was the provision of a training manual filled with a variety of activities, exercises and content materials especially designed to help future peer educators work with their peers. During the training, the participant-trainers familiarized themselves with the manual and discussed how modules might be adapted for use with the employees that they will teach to be peer educators. Electronic versions of the manual will be provided so that the participant-trainers can use it as a resource/reference book; make any desired adaptations; and provide the necessary handouts and overhead transparencies. Both the pre-training needs analysis and the evaluation of the Workshop made clear that continuing support is needed to help strengthen workplace peer education programs. Some participant-trainers, who will soon be training peer educators, had significant knowledge gaps (e.g., believing in the myth about transmission by mosquitoes; or arguing that HIV infection is a punishment from God). Several were unfamiliar with techniques that can help peer educators do more than create awareness. The process of behavior change and how peer educators might support that change were new concepts that will need much reinforcement. The potential for peer educators in the workplace was an equally clear lesson. Among the participant-trainers were several who were already highly qualified and their example and talent bodes well for the future of this type of program. At the end of the Workshop, the participants made several recommendations including one that they create a discussion forum to meet monthly so that they could continue to support each other and share their experiences as they develop their workplace peer education programs. |
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