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Nawa 41 |
Jan 26 2006 |
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VILLAGE HEALTH FUNDS ASSIST ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN
 On November 28, 2005, at the Sam Nujoma Multipurpose Centre in Ongwediva, Hon. Angelica Muharukua, Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, launched a program to help families of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Project HOPE ("Health Opportunities for People Everywhere") is implementing this promising program which is modeled on successful experience gained in several other countries. Funding for the program is provided by the U.S. President`s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and administered by USAID. The program focuses on assisting families with the extra expense of having to care for OVC through the following activities:
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· Providing micro-credit to caretakers of OVC to help alleviate economic burden and expand financial resources;
· Providing targeted education addressing issues of bereavement, life skills, home based care, and utilization of available community social services;
· Linking and strengthening the array of services for OVC provided by local community and faith-based organizations.
In her speech, Deputy Minister Muharkua stated: "The program introduces a substantially new approach to our HIV/AIDS and resulting OVC crises by putting emphasis on sustainability and self-help concepts."
"There is no work as important as the work you all are doing daily to help children in sometimes desperate need of care and support,"said USAID Director, Gary Newton. "With help from their government, family, school, church, and friends — including those of us here today — these precious children will receive the care and the education they need to become productive, independent citizens of this remarkable young nation, and to become some day themselves healthy and caring mothers and fathers." |
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FIELD GUIDE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP
 USAID/Namibia and Wilderness Safaris Namibia/Namib Lodge Company (WSN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2003 marking the beginning of what became a most successful Global Development Alliance (GDA) partnership to train people interested in careers as professional field guides.
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A total of 271 candidates were trained in the 15 courses held during 2004/5, several of whom advanced to the higher training levels. 203 community members were trained, 45 of whom were women, giving them an opportunity to enter a hitherto male-dominated field.
All the courses were designed in such a way that they inspire field guide candidates to appreciate the diversity and wonders of the natural world, and promote the value of eco-tourism in Namibia. At the entry level, candidates were introduced to field guiding, the tourist/service industry and species identification. The intermediate level covered all aspects of nature and guiding, including species identification, animal behavior, conservation, environmental awareness, wildlife diseases, people and the land, communications, photography, astronomy, geology, and basic mechanics and driving skills. The Applied Field Guiding Certificate, which is an advanced field course for experienced guides, focused on bush camping, cooking, species identification, tracking, walking with dangerous game, and weapons handling.
This was the first training program of its kind, and thus contributed significantly to the development of field guide courses in Namibia, and raising awareness of field guiding as a profession. This training program responded to a clearly identified need within the Namibian tourism industry and proved so successful and integral that WSN has taken it upon themselves to continue the program with private sector resources beyond the initial USAID/WSN start-up phase. |
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SME ENTREPRENEURS IMPRESS BANKERS
![John Gariseb [extreme right] owner of Mukorob Clothing and Safety Wear taking the group on a tour of his facility](images/NAWA41bankers.jpg) Representatives of financial service providers recently participated in an observational tour organized by the USAID-funded SMEs Compete project to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating around the capital city of Windhoek. Included in the group of 17 participants were the Namibian Stock Exchange, the Bank of Namibia, the Government Institutions Pension Fund, various asset management and stock broking firms, a trust focusing on small business development funded by a leading mining company, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
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During interaction with owners of SMEs, the question most frequently asked was whether senior management of financial institutions and other service providers in the sector actually know how competitive Namibia`s SME sector has become and of the contribution that is being made to local economic development.
Entrepreneurs expressed their appreciation to the tour participants for their demonstration of commitment and interest in the country`s SME sector. Many said that they hoped introductions will lead to improved understanding of small firms and of the challenges they face, and - equally important - for SMEs to be considered as potential vendors when it comes to the procurement of goods and services.
As SMEs Compete`s general manager Danny Meyer said in the debriefing session, "It is, as many of you have admitted today, your first direct interaction with SMEs, especially with ones located in the high density suburbs of Windhoek". He added, "I know that the tour may for some have been an eye opener but hopefully for all of you it has reinforced that entrepreneurship is thriving in Namibia and that these small firms are worthy of support….not only in your capacity as financiers but also as potential customers |
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