N$25m Eco-Village gives marginalised families new hope

**Loide Jason **

Zebalt Ngaruka

Forty houses worth N$25 million have been completed in Epukiro, Omaheke region, in a project aimed at improving living conditions for marginalised communities, with a community garden and traditional ceremony area expected to be completed by the end of November.

Vice President Lucia Witbooi officially inaugurated the N/a’an ku sê Eco-Village Project on Friday, describing it as an investment in human dignity, family stability and the future of children.

The project provides 40 housing units intended to give families from marginalised communities improved living conditions, greater security and renewed hope.

Witbooi said the development should go beyond providing shelter and create opportunities for residents to improve their livelihoods, preserve their cultural heritage, and build a stronger community.

“The inauguration of the N/a’an ku sê Eco-Village is a powerful demonstration of what becomes possible when vision is matched with commitment, partnerships are strengthened by trust, and development is centred on the dignity and aspirations of our people,” she said.

The inauguration follows the groundbreaking ceremony held earlier this year, which marked the start of the project.

Witbooi said the completion of the houses demonstrated what could be achieved through cooperation between development partners, sponsors and other stakeholders.

She said the project was an important step towards ensuring that rural and marginalised communities benefit from development initiatives.

The Vice President added that government’s development agenda under the eighth administration, led by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, seeks to ensure that all Namibians benefit from development, regardless of where they live or their circumstances.

“Development must reach every Namibian, irrespective of where they live, their circumstances or their background,” she said.

Witbooi said rural communities should not be viewed only as recipients of assistance, but as active participants and owners of their own development.

**Beyond **

The Eco-Village project is expected to expand beyond the 40 houses, with a community garden and a traditional ceremony area planned for completion by the end of November.

Witbooi said the community garden could contribute to food security, create livelihood opportunities, develop skills and promote self-reliance among residents.

She said the traditional ceremony area would provide a space for the preservation and celebration of the culture, traditions and heritage of Epukiro’s marginalised communities.

Together, the planned facilities are intended to make the Eco-Village more than a residential settlement by creating opportunities for community development and strengthening social ties. “A community garden can contribute to food security, livelihoods, skills development and self-reliance,” she said.

Witbooi added that the traditional ceremony area would help preserve the community’s identity and heritage for future generations.

She said the success of the project would ultimately depend on how the facilities improved people’s lives and the opportunities they created for families.

** Protect**

The Vice President called on the beneficiaries and the wider Epukiro community to take ownership of the houses and other facilities by maintaining and protecting them.

She said the long-term value of the investment would depend not only on the government and the organisations that supported the project, but also on the people who would use the facilities.

Witbooi added that public-private partnerships remain vital to driving the country’s development forward, and the completion of these 40 housing units signaled a vital investment in the people of Epukiro.

The VP said the government believes that development must reach every Namibian, irrespective of where they live, their circumstances or their background.

“This remains one of the core priorities of the 8th Administration under the stewardship of Her Excellncy Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of the Republic of Namibia,” she said.

Milestone

N/a’an ku sê’s group brand and Marketing Manager for Corporate Communication division, Eva-Rakel Johannes shared with the publication that the completion of the 40 homes is the first major physical milestone of a broader vision for the Eco-Village.

“N/a’an ku sê intends for the development to support longer-term cultural regeneration, economic activity and community development. We believe the approach developed through the project can provide a potential blueprint for community-led housing solutions in Namibia and Southern Africa,” she said.

On how the beneficiaries were selected, Johannes said the foundation worked with the Epukiro San Development Committee in developing and implementing the beneficiary pre-screening process.

“This process included multiple rounds of community engagement, information gathering, and candidate evaluation,” she said.

Johannes added that a point-based evaluation system was developed to support a fair and transparent allocation process focused on those most in need.

“This community-led approach was intended to ensure that the project was developed with the community rather than those most in need,” she said.

Besides the 40 housing units, there is space for a community garden, entrepreneurs centre and traditional ceremony area.

The Eco-Village reached 100% construction completion this October, following its groundbreaking ceremony on 18 January.

The inauguration took place in Epukiro on Friday, with regional and local authority representatives, traditional leaders, development partners, and community members in attendance. [email protected]

[email protected]

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