According to Nghaamwa, expecting women from Ohangwena region as well as many from Southern Angola who come to deliver their babies at Engela hospital have nowhere to stay while waiting the onset of labour.

"These women are sleeping under the trees in front of the hospital where they are extremely vulnerable.

They patiently wait there and at the onset of labour, they rush into hospital to deliver under medical and nursing care,"Nghaamwa said.

"Every day there are about 15 to 30 women waiting outside the hospital," Nghaamwa added and said that this has been the situation for many years, sending out a bad image of uncaring and suffering.

The Ohangwena Governor said local community leaders and concerned individuals in his region are disturbed by the situation and have decided to form a steering committee under his chairmanship to mobilise funds for a shelter for these mothers-to-be near the hospital.

According to Nghaamwa the steering committee has opened a Savings Bank Account with First National Bank Ohangwena with the name Tuyakula Community Project.

Any one who wants to contribute can also contact the Ohangwena Regional Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndeitwah.

The cost for the construction of the shelter, Nghaamwa said, is estimated between N$300 000 and N$350 000.

Nghaamwa said that they had organised a fund raising braai which has raised an initial N$75 000 for the project which has as its patron First Lady Penexupifo Pohamba.

The Namibia Institute for Pathology (Nip) has also donated N$15 000.

Nghaamwa, who pledged N$6 000, thanked NIP for its generous gesture and called upon other institutions, companies, organisations, businesses, NGOs and individuals to follow this good example.

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  'DRC refugee' arrested at airport
•  Keetmanshoop grapples with debt, at odds with Receiver
•  Namibia plagued by gender-based violence
•  'Struggle Kids' are happy campers
•  Teachers 'plot to kill' principal
•  Zero tolerance for road hogs
•  Nujoma Foundation raises N$300 000 at gala dinner
•  Young man sent to jail for killing older brother
•  Three die in lorry crash
•  Henties Bay 'in a mess'
•  High Court upholds labour-hire ban
•  Oshakati nervously eyes the sky
•  Shamil Dirk's graft case postponed again
•  ACC nabs Otavi Village Council CEO
•  Justice driver accused of looting
•  Job equity has improved
•  Ombudsman complains about Justice Ministry
•  New plan for Cuvelai Basin
•  APP postpones congress
•  Zim to ignore tribunal ruling
•  Immigration locks up SA journalist
•  Youth gets four years for rape
•  Swapo closes ranks