Young people grow a greener future at Maltahöhe

ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

More and more young people in Namibia are embracing urban farming as food insecurity increases.

Farm Daweb is the Hardap Region’s project site for Namibia’s Build Back Better (BBB) urban agriculture project.

This urban agriculture project is a multi-stakeholder partnership established by the agriculture ministry and funded by the government of Japan.

Namibia’s BBB project is jointly implemented through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Namibia, in conjunction with the Erongo, Kavango, Khomas and Hardap regional councils.

According to a statement issued by Blueberry Communications, poverty and food insecurity have been soaring in the Hardap Region, propelled by drought and a massive urban-rural population drift.

Hard times

“The Covid-19 pandemic has also presented further challenges with the loss of incomes and heightened unemployment.”

Soweriano Fredericks is one of the youth beneficiaries of the BBB urban agriculture project at Farm Daweb.

“Even before the pandemic, we faced the crisis of drought and malnourishment in Hardap because the continuing drought just refused to let up. Unemployment is a massive problem in our community.

“I was unemployed for several years and helpless, and with 10 mouths to feed at home, including my son, it was very tough. Then suddenly, the Build Back Better urban garden project appeared and turned my life around,” said Fredericks.

The project encourages vegetable production.

The project outputs address food sufficiency and nutritional deficiencies affecting urban communities.

Four project sites have been established in four other regions in Namibia and they aim to improve the nutrition needs of urban households, including the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.

However, each project site is conceptually different due to each region's unique environmental demands and challenges.

According to the statement, Farm Daweb's vision is to become a success story that impacts the community of Maltahöhe by helping families survive the challenging times.

Coping with drought

Previously, the farm's focus had been livestock farming, but it was dealt a devastating blow by the drought and other impacts of climate change.

“Our livestock on the farm had it very bad because the drought wiped out all of the animals until the farm was left with nothing. This was a calamity, but we have since faced the challenge and turned to horticulture,” says Fredericks.

“I am so happy that we can now donate vegetables to orphanages and churches here in our community. Farm Daweb also provides food for work and cash as work opportunities to several local youths in the community. This is very important for me because I know the challenges they are experiencing.”

Fredericks and the other beneficiaries of the urban agriculture project continue to receive theoretical and practical training in horticultural practices and the establishment of a farming cooperative.

They have also been taken on excursions to similar urban agriculture schemes. They have witnessed live demonstrations of mulching and composting. They were provided with hands-on experience on soil water retention.

Greenhouses

The BBB project has also funded greenhouses to further mitigate against the harsh environment, and Fredericks and other youth beneficiaries have eagerly put their training into action.

“Today, several young people from my community live from what we grow at Farm Daweb. Given that we are a poor community with countless socio-economic problems, where access to employment and food is often a struggle, our daily lives are always a fight.

“But thanks to the BBB urban agriculture project and Farm Daweb, we are managing to survive this pandemic. I believe that Farm Daweb has kept several members of our community alive.

“Our mission on Farm Daweb is to employ as many youths as possible from the Maltahöhe community. We also continue to give consideration to pensioners and the vulnerable children in the orphanages here in Maltahöhe.”