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The Sustainable Development Goals in Namibia
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth's environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Namibia.
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27 November 2022
FAO supporting Namibia to develop new Comprehensive Conservation Agriculture Programme
The first ever Comprehensive Conservation Agriculture Programme (CCAP 2015-2020) registered commendable progress towards improving food production and incomes for farmers in Namibia. The Framework aimed to increase the application of CA principles and practices among the crop-growing farmers of Namibia.
Godfried Meeja, from Otjozondjupa region says that adopting CA was the best decision he ever made as a farmer as he increased yields and now earns a decent income, while Paulina Aluuma added her voice to the awareness encouraging other farmers to adopt CA as it is an effective means to counter negative climate change effects such as low and variable pattern rainfall experienced in their Oshana region.
“CA has been promoted as an entry point to Climate Smart Agriculture and has the potential to contribute towards mitigation of some of the climate change and food systems challenges in Namibia,” Mildred Kambinda, Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) noted in the meeting to evaluate the ended CA framework.
Formulating second generation of CA Framework
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through a 10 countries regional project “Strengthening Coordination, Scaling Up and Governance of Conservation Agriculture in Southern Africa (SUCASA)” is supporting development of the second generation of CCAP in Namibia.
The five-year Programme will inspire Namibia’s farmers towards adopting CA in order to ensure resilience, food security and nutrition as well as environmental protection.
The development of the first generation of the CA framework was also supported by FAO in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR).
“As the global climate crisis intensifies, more and more countries are beginning to adopt climate-smart, sustainable agriculture to ensure food security to feed millions of vulnerable people", Ferdinard Mwapopi, Assistant FAO Representative (Progammes) in Namibia said during a consultative meeting.
"Namibia still remains a net importer of food items and is thus highly exposed to environmental and economic factors affecting it as well as those prevailing in food exporting countries, and this increases its vulnerability to the shocks", added Mwapopi.
Transitioning to climate-smart agriculture practices
Consultations among key stakeholders are underway from development partners, academia and farmers to guide the design of the new intervention, and also ensure ownership and its successful implementation.
The new CA framework is being designed with the technical support from FAO and will seek to transition Namibian farmers from rain-fed traditional farming practice toward climate-smart agriculture.
Conservation Agriculture adoption and scaling up is highlighted in the 5th National Development Plan for Namibia 2017-2022 and the MAWLR Strategic Plan 2017-2022. The country has a target to have more farmers adopt at least one of the CA practices; minimum tillage, crop rotation and organic soil cover, by 2025 to ensure food and nutrition security.
The urgent need to scale up CA
Agriculture in Namibia is primarily rain-fed with the majority of the population engaged in subsistence farming.
“Despite agriculture being the main source of food for the smallholder farmers, most conventional farming practices have negative impacts on the ecosystems and contribute to environmental degradation, for example loss of soil quality,” Mwapopi noted.
With the country’s vulnerabilities such as prolonged dry spell and floods which at times take place simultaneously, Conservation Agriculture adoption would provide sustainable food production.
The FAO support is aimed at enhancing institutional and individual capacities of researchers, extension officers and farmers to enable the adoption of new agricultural good practices for improved crop production.
The capacities of the MAWLR are being developed to promote CA principles to help farmers increase production and productivity, thus reducing risks and building resilience to climate change.
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27 November 2022
Youthconnekt Namibia Launched
OTJIWARONGO, Namibia — The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), officially launched the YouthConnekt Namibia initiative on 21 September 2022.
YouthConnekt Africa is a Pan-African program established by the African Union to co-design and expedite suitable solutions for youth socio-economic development, as well as to support intergovernmental knowledge exchange on policy, initiatives, and collaborations.
Operationalised in 2020, the YouthConnekt Africa hub aims to contribute to the achievement of Africa’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mandate, the AU 2063 agenda and the AU Youth Charter.
Through national YouthConnekt initiatives, the hub accomplishes its mandate by coordinating a global network to create a continental ecosystem for African youth; sharing experience and knowledge on programme and policy design, youth initiatives and providing a conduit for resources at scale and data on youth empowerment initiatives.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Hon. Emma Kantema-Gaomas said YouthConnekt Namibia aims to involve Namibian youth in the YouthConnekt Africa Hub, where they will be expected to share ideas, submit business initiatives and acquire technical development skills.
“Our mandate as a ministry is focused towards the promotion of youth empowerment initiatives as expounded in our third national youth policy. It is, therefore, our duty to ensure that we join hands with development partners and other progressive organisations in the development of youth,” said Hon. Kantema-Gaomas during the launch.
She added that there is an urgent need for youth participation at the top end of the country’s economy, hence, the government has put together a variety of policy interventions designed to bring youth into the mainstream of the economy in order to improve inclusion and cohesion.
“Africa's most valuable resource is its youth, and Namibia is no exception, with youth constituting the majority of the population,” she stated.
Loide Amkongo, UNFPA Namibia Assistant Representative and Officer in Charge urged youth to read more to keep abreast with developments and opportunities. “Read, Reach and participate,” she advised the youth during a panel discussion on how Namibian youth can prepare themselves to fully benefit from the YouthConnekt.
“Finally Namibia has officially become part of YouthConnect Africa. We have started to connect with youth from all over Namibia and I cannot wait to connect with youth from the rest of the continent. I want to thank our government for this wonderful initiative, bringing youth together for problem-solving, promoting youth engagement, and empowering the youth,” said Valmary Jantjie, a youth from! Kharas region.
Riaan Siyama, a youth from the Zambezi region also looked forward to connecting with fellow youth and hearing their thoughts and ideas, especially on how to end gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. Siyama is a co-founder of Building Every Opportunity for Change, a civil society organisation that works with men to prevent GBV in Zambezi region.
“Without concerted efforts to address GBV and other forms of gender injustices, the lives of women and girls in the country remain at risk."
"I’m very thankful that we have been accorded the opportunity to be part of the YouthConnekt Namibia launch where we can showcase our work as well as collaborate with other youth around the country and make it effective for us to combat these social illnesses in our country,” he added.
The fifth YouthConnekt Africa Summit took place in Kigali, Rwanda in October this year, where hundreds of young people from the member states of YouthConnekt Africa gathered to share experiences, knowledge, and skills. Some of the members of YouthConnekt Namibia attended the summit in Kigali.
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14 November 2022
Adolescents and youth with disabilities, and adolescents living with and affected by HIV empowered on HIV and Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights
UNAIDS Namibia in collaboration with the Namibian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) and National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia (NFPDN) with the support of UNICEF and UNFPA recently facilitated a two-day workshop on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Windhoek, as part of the 2gether4SRHR initiative.
The workshop provided a safe platform for adolescents to interact and share key issues, successes and challenges that they face, for enhanced programming to address gaps in the HIV response, and to strengthen linkages between adolescents with disabilities and other adolescents, including those living with and affected by HIV to strengthen inclusion and partnerships.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted access to life-saving sexual and reproductive and other health services for adolescents, especially those with disabilities and those living and affected by with HIV. The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted access to life-saving sexual and reproductive and other health services for adolescents, especially those with disabilities and those living and affected by with HIV.
In her opening remarks, Dr Alti Zwandor, UNAIDS Namibia Country Director, encouraged participants to actively contribute during the workshop and continue engaging in programmes for and with youth and adolescents to end inequalities. “I hope that your views, suggestions, and recommendations from this workshop will inform the outcome document that will be developed to provide guidance on gender-transformative and human rights-based interventions for adolescents with disabilities in Namibia."
" I therefore urge you to be as free, open, and frank as possible,” said Dr Zwandor.
Among other challenges, the lack of sign language interpreters and skills is a big concern in Namibia as interpreters are usually fully booked when needed by the hearing-impaired community. This was also highlighted by the Namibia Planned Parenthooh Association (NAPPA), a youth friendly service provider for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and support.
This continues to limit access to health and other social and essential services, leaving people with disabilities behind. “We often get discouraged to seek services from health facilities as there are no sign language interpreters to communicate our needs to healthcare workers and information hardly reaches us," said Martha, an adolescent with hearing impairment. Participants emphasized the need for the inclusion of adolescents with disabilities in the HIV and COVID-19 responses to ensure that people with disabilities access quality and equitable health services.
UNAIDS has long advocated for a three-track approach to advance the inclusion of people with disabilities in the HIV response, being:
Disability-specific activities and mainstreaming disability across all aspects of HIV responses.
Participation and active involvement of people with disabilities in all programme elements.
Disability-inclusive policies, programmes and implementation strategies that ensure appropriate funding and resources.
UNAIDS Namibia calls for all partners to use the social model, which acknowledges that the current inequalities are not due to peoples’ disability or vulnerability, but the inability of society to eliminate barriers challenging persons with disabilities. This will ensure inclusive development and programming for adolescents and youth so that they benefit from available services, and that the social and structural barriers that prevent young people from accessing HIV services are removed.
Speaking on behalf of the NFPDN, Mr. Orben Muluti calls for communities to start practicing equity and not equality.
“Equity will help us move to a better world, where all societal systems recognize the issues of people with disabilities and work collectively with them to mainstream disability in all aspects of life.” said Muluti.
In closing, the NNAD Director, Mr Paul Nanyeni highlighted the limited communication modalities for people with disabilities and emphasised the need to strengthen joint advocacy for the inclusion of sign language as an official language in Namibia.
The workshop was facilitated by various partners including AfriYAN Namibia, Regain Trust, NAPPA, Youth Empowerment Group (YEG), UNFPA, UNICEF and UNAIDS. The outcome document will be shared with all stakeholders for accelerated action for HIV and SRHR programming for adolescents with disabilities.
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03 December 2022
International Day of Persons with Disabilities Marks 29 Years of Disability Advocacy
It was first launched in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 47/3. The event is in its 29th year of celebration, marking nearly three decades of meaningful change for the community of Persons with Disabilities.
Such days allow us to pose and shine a light on different situations of Persons with different disabilities worldwide and what our contributions as society are towards the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all areas of life.
This day is aimed at celebrating the successes of persons with disabilities and promoting their rights and well-being in all spheres of society and development.
Although we live in a world where the contributions of persons with disabilities are not seen, it is very important to remember that a disability is less than the abilities of someone with a disability.
This year’s theme is “Transformative solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fueling an Accessible and Equitable World”
Focusing on three areas namely-
Employment,
Sports and
Innovation by and for persons with disabilities.
Today and every day the UN is working together with people with different disabilities to create a world that is accessible, equal and inclusive for our fellow Brothers and Sisters who are differently abled, but the UN cannot do this alone since disability is a cross-cutting issue.
How can you assist the UN in creating an accessible, equal and inclusive world for persons with disabilities around you?
As we commemorate the 2022 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we do enjoy the following poem entitled "No One" by Ms Pelgrina Ndumba, a UN Namibia Country Staff Member with a Visual Impairment.
No one
Seeking the acceptance of our communities should not be in vein, because no one will live our lives on our behalf.
A life of societal discrimination and ignorance should be a story of the past, because no one can live our lives on our behalf.
A helping hand to cross the street or to count money should not discourage us from achieving our goals, because no one should live our lives on our behalf
We are valuable agents of change; we are well able and should make a mark on the world because no one will live our lives on our behalf.
We are more than our faces; we are more than what you see. Our potential SHOULD be fully realized because no one will live our lives on our behalf.
Nothing about us will be done without us, because no one will live our lives on our behalf
Daily, we must face the inescapable challenges birthed from stigma and hate.
We are who we are today, because no one will live our lives on our behalf.
Morale
In whatever you do always be yourself, because you are not who you are by mistake and don’t let anything or anybody put you down, because you are able.
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15 November 2022
Towards an Early Warning System for Harmful Algal Blooms in Namibia
IOC-UNESCO and Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources organized major consultation to assess the specific needs and requirements for establishing an early warning system for harmful algal blooms in the Southern African country.
About 300 hundred species of microalgae are reported at times to form mass occurrences, so-called algal blooms. Nearly one-fourth of these species are known to produce toxins harmful to nature and to human beings, and the scientific community refers to these algal events as ‘Harmful Algal Blooms’ (HAB).
Proliferations of microalgae in marine or brackish waters can cause massive fish kills, contaminate seafood with toxins, and alter ecosystems in ways that humans perceive as harmful.
The impact of harmful microalgae is particularly evident when marine food resources (e.g. fisheries and aquaculture) are affected. Even though not all species are visibly affected by harmful algal blooms – such as shellfish and finfish –, they accumulate the toxins in their organs and subsequently transmit them to humans through consumption, leading to serious health threats.
“In the interest of food safety for the end consumer, an early warning system for HABs will serve as a food safety intervention tool to identify potential risks required to be managed; to maintain consumer and customer confidence; and to expand national, regional and international trade through the promotion of a safe seafood commodity.” - Heidi Skrypzeck, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Namibia
Monitoring of harmful algal blooms is essential in providing forecasts and early warnings for a potential HAB event, enabling regional authorities, industry, or individuals to take actions to mitigate public health, environmental, or economic risks and impacts.
The 5-6 October workshop gathered 32 participants from government ministries, the private sector, academic institutions, and official laboratories to define the early warning system requirements for Namibia, review current capacities and resources in place, and outline missing knowledge and data gaps.
As a result of collaboration between the Government of Namibia, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and UNESCO’s Windhoek Office, the workshop marked the starting point of the development of an early warning system for HABs in Namibia combining monitoring with a mitigation and adaptation strategy.
“Through its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO strives to assist Member States in managing and mitigating the impacts of harmful algae, essential for a productive and sustainable seafood industry.” - Henrik Enevoldsen, Head of Ocean Science at IOC-UNESCO
The workshop helped national stakeholders identify and share the main causes and effects of harmful algal blooms in Namibia, including mortalities, human food poisonings, ocean oxygen depletion, and the associated economic and ecological impacts – in particular on the export of shellfish products.
Participants identified an urgent need to establish a rapid monitoring and regulatory framework to ensure the protection of human health and safe seafood trade from the regular occurrence of harmful algae in the country.
“Engaging from the beginning with the different stakeholders is crucial to ensure that the early warning system being developed will eventually effectively meet their specific needs.” - Marie-Yasmine Dechraoui Bottein, invited expert from the University of Côte d’Azur
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03 February 2023
Make Reading Part and beyond School Life.
The education system in Namibia still faces many stumbling blocks including high repetition and drop-out rates. News reports noting inequality of teachers and schools in rural and urban areas as well as a lack of skills development.
The challenges in government schools are underscored due to lack of a reading culture among learners, which compromises learning, learners academic progress and in raising that child in its totality. Overcoming this problem requires everyone's input. And it is also worth noting that thousands of children across Namibia in their early childhood years do not have access to books at home or own a storybook of their own. Owning a book is integral to encouraging the Namibian children to get into regular reading habits and for increasing literacy levels.
The UNIC Windhoek children’s storybook ‘Frieda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ remains a campaigner for the fulfillment of the SDG4 (Quality Education). Dissemination results with the support of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture noted that more than 6000 books were delivered to regions across the country, especially reaching marginalised communities and children with disabilities. The Centre’s 2022 educational outreach programmes have extended the number of learners reached to an additional 3000.
Despite limited resources, the Centre remains committed to their bi-monthly educational outreach programmes and reading sessions at school in helping children reach their full potential and to secure a greater understanding of the SDGs. A child who can read can make a difference in his / her own life, not only in improving their general comprehension and vocabulary, but in improving his or her decoding skills as well.
The start of a new school year provided a fresh opportunity in reaching learners at after school tutoring centres. In support of the UN's 2023 communication priorities on the SDGs, the Education Company, Edu-Com in Windhoek received about 90 copies of the children's storybook of 'Frieda and the SDGs,' 50 sets of the Swift 30 SDG games, notebooks and environmentally friendly promotional items.
Edu-Com strives for a 100 % pass rate of learners, providing educational discipline support e.g., in homework assistance, test and exam preparation, project and research assistance, one on one tutoring and Afrikaans classes for beginners to intermediate.
The Head of Academic Affairs, Mr. Brian Sacco noted: "Handing-over of the UN-donation to our learners today was such a joyous occasion... When you create a conducive learning environment, you create a platform for happy learning. Happy learners tend to produce great academic results."
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03 February 2023
African leaders unite in pledge to end AIDS in children
DAR ES SALAAM, 1 February 2023—Ministers and representatives from twelve African countries have committed themselves, and laid out their plans, to end AIDS in children by 2030. International partners have set out how they would support countries in delivering on those plans, which were issued at the first ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance to end AIDS in children.
The meeting hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania, marks a step up in action to ensure that all children with HIV have access to life saving treatment and that mothers living with HIV have babies free from HIV. The Alliance will work to drive progress over the next seven years, to ensure that the 2030 target is met.
Currently, around the world, a child dies from AIDS related causes every five minutes.
Only half (52%) of children living with HIV are on life-saving treatment, far behind adults of whom three quarters (76%) are receiving antiretrovirals.
In 2021,160 000 children newly acquired HIV. Children accounted for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths, despite the fact that only 4% of the total number of people living with HIV are children.
In partnership with networks of people living with HIV and community leaders, ministers laid out their action plans to help find and provide testing to more pregnant women and link them to care. The plans also involve finding and caring for infants and children living with HIV.
The Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on ending AIDS in children was endorsed unanimously.
Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Philip Mpango said, “Tanzania has showed its political engagement, now we need to commit moving forward as a collective whole. All of us in our capacities must have a role to play to end AIDS in children. The Global Alliance is the right direction, and we must not remain complacent. 2030 is at our doorstep.”
The First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos agreed. “This gathering of leaders is uniting in a solemn vow – and a clear plan of action – to end AIDS in children once and for all,” she said. “There is no higher priority than this.”
Twelve countries with high HIV burdens have joined the alliance in the first phase: Angola, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The work will centre on four pillars across:
Early testing and optimal treatment and care for infants, children, and adolescents
Closing the treatment gap for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV, to eliminate vertical transmission
Preventing new HIV infections among pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and women; and
Addressing rights, gender equality and the social and structural barriers that hinder access to services.
UNICEF welcomed the leaders’ commitments and pledged their support. "Every child has the right to a healthy and hopeful future, but for more than half of children living with HIV, that future is threatened," said UNICEF Associate Director Anurita Bains. "We cannot let children continue to be left behind in the global response to HIV and AIDS. Governments and partners can count on UNICEF to be there every step of the way. This includes work to integrate HIV services into primary health care and strengthen the capacity of local health systems."
“This meeting has given me hope,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “An inequality that breaks my heart is that against children living with HIV, and leaders today have set out their commitment to the determined action needed to put it right. As the leaders noted, with the science that we have today, no baby needs to be born with HIV or get infected during breastfeeding, and no child living with HIV needs to be without treatment. The leaders were clear: they will close the treatment gap for children to save children’s lives.”
Peter Sands, Executive Director of The Global Fund, said, “In 2023, no child should be born with HIV, and no child should die from an AIDS-related illness. Let’s seize this opportunity to work in partnership to make sure the action plans endorsed today are translated into concrete steps and implemented at scale. Together, led by communities most affected by HIV, we know we can achieve remarkable results.”
PEPFAR's John Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, said he remains confident. "Closing the gap for children will require laser focus and a steadfast commitment to hold ourselves, governments, and all partners accountable for results. In partnership with the Global Alliance, PEPFAR commits to elevate the HIV/AIDS children's agenda to the highest political level within and across countries to mobilize the necessary support needed to address rights, gender equality and the social and structural barriers that hinder access to prevention and treatment services for children and their families."
EGPAF President and CEO, Chip Lyons, said that the plans shared, if implemented, would mean children were no longer left behind. “Often, services for children are set aside when budgets are tight or other challenges stand in the way. Today, African leaders endorsed detailed plans to end AIDS in children – now is the time for us all to commit to speaking up for children so that they are both prioritized and included in the HIV response.”
Delegates emphasized the importance of a grounds-up approach with local, national and regional stakeholders taking ownership of the initiative, and engagement of a broad set of partners. The alliance has engaged support from Africa REACH and other diverse partners and welcomes all countries to join.
“We have helped shape the Global Alliance and have ensured that human rights, community engagement and gender equality are pillars of the Alliance,” said Lilian Mworeko, Executive Director of the International Community of Women living with HIV in Eastern Africa on behalf of ICW, Y+ Global and GNP+. “We believe a women-led response is key to ending AIDS in children.”
Progress is possible. Sixteen countries and territories have already been certified for validation of eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and/or syphilis; while HIV and other infections can pass from a mother to child during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, such transmission can be interrupted with prompt HIV treatment for pregnant women living with HIV or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for mothers at risk of HIV infection.
Last year Botswana was the first African country with high HIV prevalence to be validated as being on the path to eliminating vertical transmission of HIV, which means the country had fewer than 500 new HIV infections among babies per 100 000 births. The vertical transmission rate in the country was 2% versus 10% a decade ago.
UNAIDS, networks of people living with HIV, UNICEF and WHO together with technical partners, PEPFAR and The Global Fund unveiled the Global Alliance to end AIDS in children in July 2022 at the AIDS conference in Montreal, Canada. Now, at its first ministerial meeting, African leaders have set out how the Alliance will deliver on the promise to end AIDS in children by 2030.
UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank.
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22 January 2023
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION
Education is a fundamental human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The fifth International Day of Education will be celebrated this year on 24 January 2023 under the theme “to invest in people, prioritize education”. Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022. The UN chief call for action in maintaining strong political mobilization around education and chart the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action. Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis. Transforming Education is essential, listen to the Secretary-General António Guterres video message on International Day of Education here: https://youtu.be/7pSePoW0aJ4
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19 January 2023
17 STORIES PROJECT: The Truck Pusher’s Tale
Omuji attends the Christ Apostolic Church Secondary School, Makurdi and hails from the Benue State in Nigeria.
Hunger is a state of eating far less than the required quantity of food. It is also the state of a lack of food when there is a craving for it.
"Mummy I want to eat!" "Aunty, the food is not enough!" "What will the children eat?" "I have not eaten since this morning.".
These statements dominate too many homes and communities in Nigeria. This simply shows abundant hunger, or lack of food. Zero hunger is just the opposite of this. A situation where everyone does not just have enough to eat but the required food to eat. consider the scenario below.
Mr. Eze married two wives, Ngozi and Chioma. Ngozi has seven children while Chioma has five. With this family of twelve children and their parents, Eze is a wheel barrow pusher in the market, though he claims to have owned a provision store that gradually collapsed due to circumstances.
As at the time I packed into Mr. Ezes neighborhood his situation was already very pathetic. There was this incident that brought the whole thing to my knowledge. Ngozi and Chioma were seriously quarreling over who gets the larger share of Mr Eze little proceeds from the wheelbarrow business. The quarrel was prolonged and neighbors had to intervene.
Moving closer to them, I heard Chioma saying, "For the past five days I have not gotten up to a thousand naira from my husband, the whole money goes to Ngozi". “What about me?”shouted Ngozi. "Do you think he gives me millions? Tell us the truth. He gives you all the money. If it is the five or six hundred he gives to everyone you want to die for, eh, just go and die."
While this drama was going on, I took time to observe Mr. Eze’s children. They were all looking unfed and sick. Chioma’s last three children, age 2, 4, and 5, were gathered round a cup of garri, fighting amongst themselves as well. Ngozi’s children meanwhile were lying around helplessly. You didn’t need anyone to tell you that they had not had anything to eat. As the women argued with each other, dragging their children from all sides, they became so frustrated that they began to beat their hungry children. It took a long time to console the dejected, unfairly treated children and to calm the frustrated women.
Eventually, I was able to ask them what the problem was.
"My husband came and gave her all the money and went away", said one of them- I can’t remember which. “This is what has always happened in this house.”
The other woman said, "The only problem here is that I don’t know what she and my husband do with all the money he makes. Last night I got nothing at all." After a series of accusations and counter-accusations, I was at last able to ask them where their husband was.
“He came and went back,” answered one of the women.
Why did he go back? I asked.
Ngozi quickly answered that he had given her the money na!
Chioma interjected, “Which money? Is it the 250 you mean? Tell us how much he gave you?”
“Nothing”, Ngozi retorted. “If he had given me anything, would I send the children to him? Would I quarrel with him?”
At this time I was the only person left there. The others probably only came out of concern for the children and may have become used to these dramas by Mr. Eze’s wives. I waited patiently for Mr. Eze, hoping he would come back and find me in his home. He returned 30 minutes later. By them I had stopped the wives from quarrelling. He entered the house looking as though he had been waiting for the quarrel to be over. He looked miserable and frustrated. You don’t need to ask if the dread of the troubles at home kept him away or if he had been waiting for the women to stop their quarrel.
I took him aside to discuss with him.
Mr. Eze narrated how he had worked all day to make the N250 he gave to Chioma. That was all he had made that day. As a father, he felt for his hungry children and wanted to stay with them, but their mothers would not understand. All they were ever after was money for food for the children. He said he had not eaten all day because he wanted to make sure he could bring some money home.
This happened often and at times he was even hungrier than his children. Whenever his wives began to quarrel, he felt miserable and defeated by life. In tears he said, "I know that my wives must be hungry too. I know that they may not really want to quarrel but a hungry man they say is an angry man."
Mr. Eze told me the situation had been going on for the past three years. When he told me how much money he owed just to make sure his family was fed, I was shocked. He told me about the kind of harassment he has received from creditors who sell on food stuff. He said that matters would get worse when he wanted to buy on credit and they refused.
The worst part of his story were the health problems the children continually suffered as a result of malnutrition. What he didn’t understand was that those who refused to help his family with money to feed well, were prepared to pay their hospital bills and buy drugs for the children when they were sick! He really didn’t understand it. Whenever he tried to focus on the children, the other responsibilities like house-rent, would come up. He didn’t want to talk about school because paying school fees meant that his family would not eat for weeks.
I am familiar with the story of the Mr. Ezes of this world. At school we have course mates that eat garri every single day and nothing else. Some steal other people’s food to survive. Others break-down before exams. Others break-down during exams. Some fall sick and get hospitalized. It is always a very pathetic situation to watch very intelligent students fall victim to hunger.
Hunger has caused a lot of damage in our society. You can’t think right when you are hungry. You lack patience and tolerance when you are hungry. You can’t focus on anything when you are hungry. Hunger has caused a lot of broken homes, accidents and fights and hunger has wrecked a lot of potential and has even led to death.
Message to Nigerian Government
I hereby call on the Nigerian government to focus on the crisis of hunger. I suggest that jobs should be created and agriculture invested in so that we can grow more food. I also believe that hard work should be appreciated and rewarded.
ABOUT THE 17 STORIES PROJECT
The 17 STORIES project is an SDG Action Campaign designed to engage and motivate children towards taking action for the SDGs through the literary art of storytelling.
The 17 STORIES project is an initiative of the Nigeria Volunteers Network (NVN) led by Vincent Odigie. Founded in 2020, with a headquarters in Edo State, NVN aims to empower the Nigerian volunteer with necessary and up to date information, skills and resources towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
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19 January 2023
The Role of Libraries in realizing SDG 4: Inclusive, Equitable and Quality Education: The West African Perspective
Libraries exist within the formal and the informal sector of the learning ecosystem. They play a fundamental role in learning within educational institutions and in different communities where they exist all over Africa.
They are critical for achieving inclusive, equitable and quality education where no one is left behind including those who are in employment and cannot attend school fulltime and/or are taking online courses. They are critical also for those who have fallen through the cracks of the educational system as school dropouts at various stages of their educational journey or out-of-school-children.
Before School Age
Public libraries introduce pre-school children and late school starters to the world of books and learning. Early literacy development is expected to start from the home.
However, in communities where parents and caregivers do not have sufficient funds to buy age-appropriate books for their children who are yet to start school and/or may not be literate, the public library serves the children adequately by providing age-appropriate books and running story hour programmes where children learn and begin to understand words.
In a survey for English speaking countries in Africa recently run by the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA), it was discovered that public and community libraries in Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone run programmes targeted at helping children learn to read in order to read to learn as it is clearly understood that it is the necessary foundational building block for inclusive and quality learning in school, future academic achievement, and lifelong learning.
This has the potential of reducing the rate of children who drop out of schools due to inability to keep up with what is taught in the classroom. Some libraries such as the City Library Abuja, have gone further to run a programme for out-of-school children. The library staff read to the children, help them to be comfortable around books and provide writing and painting materials for them. This invariably leads to their acquiring basic literacy skills such as recognition of letters and words.
In Schools
Libraries in tertiary institutions serve not only the students but also the faculty members who need to be kept up-to-date on current best practices in the various disciplines. This drives quality education as the library assists lecturers to update their knowledge so that they do not depend on their old lecture notes year in and year out. The library in tertiary institutions also provides online and offline materials that drive research for all members of the academic community.
As the concept of openness and knowledge equity become more accepted in sub-Saharan Africa, academic libraries in the West African region are establishing open access institutional repositories where lecturers openly share their lectures notes and articles published in different journals for easy access by students and their professional colleagues.
This makes learning more collaborative, richer and equitable as all within the community especially the students have access to the library’s repository and resources even when they cannot afford textbooks or need to search research projects in order to build on already existing knowledge.
Such repositories which can be found in https://www.internationalafricaninstitute.org/repositories exist in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) http://dspace.knust.edu.gh/, Asheshi University, Ghana https://air.ashesi.edu.gh/home, Afe Babalola University, Nigeria, http://eprints.abuad.edu.ng/ Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria, http://repository.fuoye.edu.ng/, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, http://ir.library.ui.edu.ng/handle/123456789/243, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal, among others.
In secondary schools and primary schools all over Africa, libraries provide curriculum based texts and supplementary reading texts for all those who cannot afford the important learning materials. School libraries also serve as study spaces for those who wish to read during free times.
The libraries in these schools help to grow the reading culture among young adults so that they can achieve more academically.
Libraries in these schools also provide literature and fiction resources that open the eyes of students to a better understanding of the world.
The UN SDG Book Club African Chapter plays a role in this aspect as the Book Club recommends books that children can read to sharpen their understanding of the SDGs and of how the Goals can be achieved at different levels by all. Libraries make the children aware of the books recommended for every SDG and make these books available whenever possible especially to parents who cannot afford them.
In the formal education sector, libraries are also used as learning laboratories for students who need to be taught research and information literacy skills that will enable them navigate adroitly and safely in online spaces as they search for needed information for their studies. This boosts the quality of education as students are equipped to search for more knowledge and to not only depend on what is taught in classrooms.
In the Community
Public libraries have a standard non-discriminatory policy that allows everyone irrespective of status, age, or creed to come in, access learning and informative materials that lead to lifelong learning which has been recognized as being essential for a productive workforce, improved quality of life and a high sense of self-worth.
They also offer conducive learning spaces for those who need to study independently for school and external examinations.
Since 2012 when NITDA provided computers and internet access to the National Library of Nigeria and some public libraries across Nigeria, these institutions have been the go-to places for those who wish to acquire basic digital skills and/or access e-learning platforms for further studies.
The Ghana Library Authority also has a learning app that allows its members to read e-books, listen to audio books and watch educational videos. The library also runs a Read2Skill programme through which one can study courses in Project management, UI/UX Design and Data Analytics amongst others. These initiatives by public libraries make learning more inclusive and closer to people who cannot afford the time or who do not have the opportunity to be in the formal education sector.
Public libraries excel in driving informal education for all within their communities. In the Greater Accra Library, children’s section, one can walk in and learn embroidery, patch-making, collage, paper craft and poster design for a token fee. The Enugu Library Board, Nigeria, teaches young people how to make shoes without charging although the learners are encouraged to come with the materials.
This was introduced as a project by a participant in AfLIA’s Leadership Academy. The Sapele Public library, Delta State, Nigeria, brought learning and education closer to fish farmers in the community by teaching them how to have higher yields, by introducing them to online resources for their field and by showing them how to access credit from banks. This was another project by a participant in AfLIA’s Leadership Academy which was carried out in collaboration with a bank in the community.
Finally, libraries of all types in West Africa have come to realize that education is a lifelong venture and that they have definite roles to play in ensuring inclusive, quality and equitable education for all.
ABOUT NKEM OSUIGWE
Nkem Osuigwe PhD is the Director, Human Capacity Development and Training
African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) with headquarters in Accra, Ghana.
She has served as the Head of the public library system in Anambra State Nigeria, and as a Director of Nigerian Book Foundation. She is an ardent advocate for open knowledge as a pathway for inclusivity and boosting innovative solutions to development challenges that bedevil Africa. She sees the continuous development of human capital as the key to the progress and prosperity of Africa and believes that libraries of all types as core institutions that provide access to life-changing knowledge, opportunities and 21st century skills development are the future of Africa and should be in forefront of advocacy, provision of services and skills for the transformation of Africa.
She has been the project lead for AfLIA’s projects with OER Africa, NBA South Africa, and Wikimedia Foundation. She represents AfLIA in the management team of the UN SDG Book Club, African. She recently won the global award of the Wikimedian of the Year 2022, (Newcomer category).
She has been Chapter Chair, Nigerian Library Association as well as a 2nd Vice President of the association at the national level. She had also being Vice Chair and Chair, Public Libraries Section, AfLIA. She has served as mentor for Cohort 1 & 2, International Network of Emerging Library Innovators, sub-Saharan Africa (INELI-SSAf) and AfLIA Leadership Academy (AfLAC).
She schooled in University of Benin, University of Ibadan and Abia State University. She has published articles in academic journals, in blogs and magazines and book chapters. She has also edited a book as well as served as the editor of an academic journal. She tweets through @librarian_nkem on Twitter and shares her views on LinkedIn and Facebook as Nkem Osuigwe. Nkem Osuigwe represents AfLIA on the Management Committee of the African Chapter of the UN SDG Book Club.
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Press Release
25 November 2022
Message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member — and we know that other stresses, from the COVID-19 pandemic to economic turmoil, inevitably lead to even more physical and verbal abuse.
Women and girls also face rampant online violence, from misogynistic hate speech, to sexual harassment, image abuse and grooming by predators.
This discrimination, violence and abuse targeting half of humanity comes at a steep cost. It limits women’s and girls’ participation in all walks of life, denies their basic rights and freedoms, and blocks the equal economic recovery and sustainable growth our world needs.
Now is the time for transformative action that ends violence against women and girls.
This means governments designing, funding and implementing national action plans to tackle this scourge.
It means involving grassroots and civil society groups at every stage of decision-making.
It means ensuring that laws are implemented and respected, so survivors see their rights to justice and support upheld.
It means supporting public campaigns that challenge patriarchal norms and reject misogyny and violence.
And as this year’s theme — “UNITE: Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls” — reminds us, it means standing with activists around the world who are calling for change and supporting survivors of violence. I call on governments to increase funding by 50 per cent to women’s rights organizations and movements by 2026.
Let’s take a stand and raise our voices in support of women’s rights.
Let’s proudly declare: We are all feminists.
Let’s consign violence against women and girls to the history books.
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Press Release
28 November 2022
Labour Migration Governance Key to Protecting Migrant Workers in Southern Africa
The President of Zimbabwe, Dr Emmerson Mnagwanga will officially open the high-level conference which seeks to find ways to foster fair and effective labour migration governance and the protection of migrant workers in Southern Africa. Led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the High-Level Tripartite Dialogue is a culmination of activities and research organised by the Southern African Migration Management (SAMM) Project to identify priorities at the national level and advance in the implementation of country-level labour migration policies and action plans in the SADC region.
It is designed to improve migration management in the Southern African and Indian Ocean region guided by, and contributing to the realisation of, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goal 8 on decent work and economic growth and goal 10 on reducing inequality and Objective 6 of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) to Facilitate fair and ethical recruitment and safeguard conditions that ensure decent work.
Since almost half of all migrant workers in the SADC region are women, the conference will spotlight the importance of labour migration policies to be gender-responsive and evidence-based. For many women, as for men, migration can represent a positive experience and have important emancipating and empowering impacts.
According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA, year ), the feminization of migration has reached significant levels in the Southern African region with 47 per cent of all migrants being female.
But often female migrants are confronted with gender specific disadvantages and vulnerability in the migration process and in their employment. Women workers, especially young female migrants, often end up in situations of double or even triple discrimination, disadvantage, marginalization and vulnerability (including violence and harassment as well as forced labour.
“Maximizing the benefits of labour migration and minimizing the risks and social costs requires sound and effective labour migration governance,” said Ms. Hopalong Phororo, ILO Director for ILO Country Office for Zimbabwe and Namibia. “Expert studies and data show that migration, particularly labour migration, is an important enabler and beneficiary of regional integration and economic development in Africa.”
Across the world, migration is largely linked to the search for a job and better wages, and even if employment is not the primary driver, it usually features in the migration process at some point. In Southern Africa, as in many parts of the world, migrants face prejudice, intolerance and stigmatization in their workplaces and communities.
“It is necessary to advocate for improved migration management in Southern Africa, as a pivotal approach to addressing the challenges of migration, and ensuring that migration has a positive outcome for the country, migrants, and the members of their families”, said Mr. Ashraf El Nour, IOM Regional Director for Southern Africa.
The Southern African region has had a long history of intra-regional migration. All Member States of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) are involved in labour migration flows as countries of origin, transit, or destination and often they play the three roles at the same time.
In the SADC region, migrant workers are present in agriculture, fishing, mining, construction, food processing, domestic work, caregiving, cleaning, restaurants-hotels, transportation and retail trade.
The two day conference will promote fair, ethical and effective labour migration governance through tripartism that brings Ministries of Labour/Employment, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, as well as workers’ and employers’ organisations and social dialogue particularly in the development of rights-based, gender-sensitive and evidence-based labour migration legislation and policies, taking account of labour market needs.
The conference will assess labour migration governance progress so far, gaps and challenges as well as main opportunities to consider in the SADC region. It will also identify tripartite constituents’ labour migration governance priority areas of collaboration, share existing and proposed good practices and recommendations and mention current roles and contributions. It will also provide a platform to tripartite partners to re-organise and re-strategize on labour migration governance in Southern Africa
About the SAMM Project
The SAMM Project is a United Nations Multi-Agency programme composed of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The European Union is supporting and funding the implementation of the project.
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Press Release
26 October 2022
WFP calls for action following World Food Day to avoid another year of global record hunger
“We are facing an unprecedented global food crisis, and all signs suggest we have not yet seen the worst. For the last three years, hunger numbers have repeatedly hit new peaks,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.
"Let me be clear: things can and will get worse unless there is a large-scale and coordinated effort to address the root causes of this crisis. We cannot have another year of record hunger".
The global food crisis is a confluence of competing crises – caused by climate shocks, conflict, the prolonged impact of COVID-19 and economic pressures – that has continued to push up the number of severely food insecure people all around the world, including in Namibia, where out of a population of 2.3M, there are 0.3M (13%) who are consuming food insufficiently.
In WFP Namibia, we strive to achieve a better life for all through 32 sustainable food systems projects across the country with 1,457 direct beneficiaries. Additionally, 29 schools are piloting Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) projects with 11,730 beneficiaries. Finally, for cash-based transfers through the
Japanese government, 17,712 vulnerable people have been selected in Omaheke, Kunene and Oshikoto regions, including nearly 3,700 malnourished children under the age of five. Each family will receive a value voucher equivalent to US$ 38 per month for three months (October 2022- December 2022) to cope with the inflation in the price of food and commodities secondary to the Ukraine-Russia war. Building on this year’s theme for World Food Day – “No one left behind” – WFP calls for coordinated effort across governments, financial institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and partners to mitigate an even more severe food crisis in 2023. This includes reinforcing national economies, social protection
systems, and regional and domestic food systems – at speed and scale. "It is the business of each of us to practice the theme of this day by planting one fruit tree together with a crop wherever we live,’’ said Ms Ericah Shafudah, Deputy Country Representative of WFP Namibia. This year’s World Food Day (WFD) celebration took place in Uukwiyuushona village on the premises of Uukwiyuushona Combined School on Saturday, 15th October 2022. The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) spearheaded the preparation of WFD, and WFP participated as a sponsor. The role of WFP was to support one beneficiary (a 55-year-old female farmer in Oshana) in setting up a shade-netted garden of 0.5 ha for the planting of spinach, carrots, cabbage and beetroot among other vegetables, for a diversified diet including income generation. The farmer will use the vegetables to
support a kindergarten with 19 children and a household of 7 people (26 beneficiaries in total). The total support cost for this activity was N$60,000 (US$ 3,500). Another activity for this event was capturing a video as part of the FAO-WFP Namibia school meals Campaign (SMC) in the Mphe Thuto Primary School, Omaheke region. The video was selected for showcasing during the Junior World Food Day on the 14th of October 2022. While these efforts provide succour to some of the severely vulnerable, it is against a challenging global backdrop in which the number of acutely hungry people continues to increase requiring a concerted global action for peace, economic stability and continued humanitarian support to ensure food security around the world. Other sponsors participating in the celebration by implementing various activities were the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), GIZ Namibia, Namibia Agronomic Board, Agri Gro, Coca Cola, NamWater, MeatCo, Namport, Choppies Namibia, Marco Fishing Charitable Trust, Namibia Agricultural Mechanization and Seed Improvement Programme (NAMSIP), Agro Marketing and Trading Agency (AMTA), Shivute Family Trust, Oshakati Town Council, Kaap Agri, Uukwambi Traditional Authority and the Ombandja Traditional Authority. The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Follow us on Twitter_ @WFP_Africa, @WFPNamibia. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram: @WFPNamibia For more information, please contact the following persons:
Luise Shikongo, Communications and Reporting Associate, WFP/ Namibia: luise.shikongo@wfp.org
Rawan Taha, Operational Information Management (OIM) and Performance Reporting (PR) Officer, WFP/ Namibia: rawan.taha@wfp.org
Japanese government, 17,712 vulnerable people have been selected in Omaheke, Kunene and Oshikoto regions, including nearly 3,700 malnourished children under the age of five. Each family will receive a value voucher equivalent to US$ 38 per month for three months (October 2022- December 2022) to cope with the inflation in the price of food and commodities secondary to the Ukraine-Russia war. Building on this year’s theme for World Food Day – “No one left behind” – WFP calls for coordinated effort across governments, financial institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and partners to mitigate an even more severe food crisis in 2023. This includes reinforcing national economies, social protection
systems, and regional and domestic food systems – at speed and scale. "It is the business of each of us to practice the theme of this day by planting one fruit tree together with a crop wherever we live,’’ said Ms Ericah Shafudah, Deputy Country Representative of WFP Namibia. This year’s World Food Day (WFD) celebration took place in Uukwiyuushona village on the premises of Uukwiyuushona Combined School on Saturday, 15th October 2022. The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) spearheaded the preparation of WFD, and WFP participated as a sponsor. The role of WFP was to support one beneficiary (a 55-year-old female farmer in Oshana) in setting up a shade-netted garden of 0.5 ha for the planting of spinach, carrots, cabbage and beetroot among other vegetables, for a diversified diet including income generation. The farmer will use the vegetables to
support a kindergarten with 19 children and a household of 7 people (26 beneficiaries in total). The total support cost for this activity was N$60,000 (US$ 3,500). Another activity for this event was capturing a video as part of the FAO-WFP Namibia school meals Campaign (SMC) in the Mphe Thuto Primary School, Omaheke region. The video was selected for showcasing during the Junior World Food Day on the 14th of October 2022. While these efforts provide succour to some of the severely vulnerable, it is against a challenging global backdrop in which the number of acutely hungry people continues to increase requiring a concerted global action for peace, economic stability and continued humanitarian support to ensure food security around the world. Other sponsors participating in the celebration by implementing various activities were the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), GIZ Namibia, Namibia Agronomic Board, Agri Gro, Coca Cola, NamWater, MeatCo, Namport, Choppies Namibia, Marco Fishing Charitable Trust, Namibia Agricultural Mechanization and Seed Improvement Programme (NAMSIP), Agro Marketing and Trading Agency (AMTA), Shivute Family Trust, Oshakati Town Council, Kaap Agri, Uukwambi Traditional Authority and the Ombandja Traditional Authority. The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Follow us on Twitter_ @WFP_Africa, @WFPNamibia. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram: @WFPNamibia For more information, please contact the following persons:
Luise Shikongo, Communications and Reporting Associate, WFP/ Namibia: luise.shikongo@wfp.org
Rawan Taha, Operational Information Management (OIM) and Performance Reporting (PR) Officer, WFP/ Namibia: rawan.taha@wfp.org
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Press Release
22 August 2022
Connected African Girls Coding Camp Brings ICT skills to Namibian girls
The coding camp is commissioned by ECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa) in partnership with the government of The Republic of Namibia (MICT), UN Namibia, UN WOMEN, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and Telecom Namibia.
The hybrid training brings together African women and girls between 12 to 25 years of age, with 100 from Namibia physically attending while hundreds more join virtually from around the African continent. The coding camp runs from 16 - 24 August 2022 and is hosted at the Windhoek Palm Hotel.
“The Government of the Republic of Namibia continues to support projects like the Connected African Girls Coding Camp as they directly benefit and uplift our citizens. The Government through the Ministry of ICT is committed to implementing effective legislation that provides easy access to ICTS with the aim of creating a knowledge-based society. Over the years, the Government has made significant strides to integrate digital technology with the national development objectives,” says Hon. Dr. Peya Mushelenga, Minister of Information and Communication Technology during his keynote address during the official opening.
“In our endeavors to ‘leave no one behind’ to harness ICTs in education will go a long way in contributing to achieving Goal 17 of Agenda 2063’s aspiration 6 which seeks to eliminate all barriers to quality education, health and social services for women and girls on the African continent,” says Sen Pang, UN Resident Coordinator, UN Namibia.
The African Connected Girls initiative aims to narrow the digital gap by empowering young African women and girls with the necessary foundational building-block skills to find long-term success in education, employment, and entrepreneurship, while creating a conducive environment for collaborative efforts.
The Namibian Connected African Girls Coding camp features four main workshops on animation, web development & gaming, IoT & robotics, and 3D printing. Graphic design is included as a common course in line with artificial intelligence, design thinking, and computational thinking. This camp will also feature master classes on Gender-Based Violence, UN SDGs, and Agenda 2063 including personal development skills.
“To prepare our young women to lead the fourth industrial revolution, we must champion initiatives such as the Connected African Girl initiative. Coding has become the new literacy! Girls and young Namibian women need to become digitally savvy and active participants in shaping Namibia's digital future,” says Jean Paul Adam, Director, Technology, Climate Change and Natural resources Division, UNECA.
On the final day of the camp, an innovation fair will be held enabling the girls to showcase their projects developed during the coding camp by targeting solution-oriented ideas in response to the continent’s socio-economic challenges. In the last four editions of the coding camp, trainees
have developed 198 innovative projects, of which 40 were recognized for their contributions to the community. Some attendees from the Connected African Girls Coding Camp shared what they hoped to achieve with this initiative: "I want to learn more skills to train others and start up computer classes at our school. I would like to learn more about ethical hacking." - Ndapandula Hango, Grootfontein, Grade 10 "People are using technology more in this modern age, children must learn to use technology. I use technology for research and play games. I really want to learn to create my own games." - Caren Sue Kahmann, Hardap Region, Grade 9. "I am obsessed with gaming. I want to gain more skills on how to design games and code. I am here for the skills that I can learn." - Theresia Ndilimeke, Grade 10 Khomas Region "My younger brother introduced me to coding initially. In grade 10 I realised how important it is in relation to my subjects. I am very interested to learn how to use my subjects ( in the workshop) in a way that will help me develop new ways of entrepreneurship and help me improve the living standards in rural areas. - Latoya Bernard, Otjikoto Region, Grade 12
have developed 198 innovative projects, of which 40 were recognized for their contributions to the community. Some attendees from the Connected African Girls Coding Camp shared what they hoped to achieve with this initiative: "I want to learn more skills to train others and start up computer classes at our school. I would like to learn more about ethical hacking." - Ndapandula Hango, Grootfontein, Grade 10 "People are using technology more in this modern age, children must learn to use technology. I use technology for research and play games. I really want to learn to create my own games." - Caren Sue Kahmann, Hardap Region, Grade 9. "I am obsessed with gaming. I want to gain more skills on how to design games and code. I am here for the skills that I can learn." - Theresia Ndilimeke, Grade 10 Khomas Region "My younger brother introduced me to coding initially. In grade 10 I realised how important it is in relation to my subjects. I am very interested to learn how to use my subjects ( in the workshop) in a way that will help me develop new ways of entrepreneurship and help me improve the living standards in rural areas. - Latoya Bernard, Otjikoto Region, Grade 12
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Press Release
12 August 2022
Joint Launch of Projects Funded by the Japanese Supplementary Budget
The projects, aimed at furthering the Sustainable Development Goals, will be supported by the Japanese Supplementary Budget.
The package from the Japanese Government amounts to more than U$3.2 million, and it will be distributed to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
I’m confident that through our integrated, multi-sector approach to development programming, and by drawing upon skills and capabilities from around the region and internationally, UN Namibia will make a lasting contribution to addressing Namibia’s development priorities for the benefit of generations to come
- Mr. Sen Pang, UN Namibia Resident Coordinator.
The projects plan to assist the government of Namibia by providing emergency responses to locust-affected regions, promoting Carbon Markets and mitigating Gender-Based Violence (GBV), among other issues.
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