The e-voucher card issuance and terminal roll-out for the Urban Agriculture Build Back Better program was held this week in Mariental by the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF).
To address nutritional deficiencies affecting urban and peri-urban households, the program aims to improve the production of nutritious, high-value produce such as vegetables and fruits. It was launched with financial support from the Japanese government by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform in collaboration with the UN Development Program and the EIF.
This initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Windhoek Municipality (Khomas Region), Swakopmund Municipality (Erongo Region), Rundu Town Council (Kavango East Region) and the Daweb Constituency (Maltahohe) of the Hardap Region.
The rollout in the Hardap region covers Maltahohe (Daweb Constituency), Mariental (Mariental Constituency), Gibeon District, and 14 beneficiaries have been identified to benefit from the project.
“You have given us and our people hope with this programme to realise their dreams of becoming urban small scale farmers through the e-voucher system and to you the beneficiaries, we as the regional Council wasn’t to see results and want to see you creating employment opportunities and improving livelihoods with these grants that you are receiving here today,” said Deensia Swaartbooi, Regional Councillor for Mariental Constituency.
The rollout programme saw total support to 56 beneficiaries of 13 are from Windhoek Municipality (Khomas Region), 13 from the Swakopmund Municipality (Erongo Region), 17 from Rundu Town Council (Kavango East Region) and 13 from the Daweb Constituency (Maltahohe) of the Hardap Region respectively.
