The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has set aside N$10 million for its Food/Cash for Work Programme to provide temporary income to vulnerable households.
The funding was announced by urban and rural development deputy minister Evelyn !Nawases-Taeyele, on behalf of minister James Sankwasa, during the opening of the annual rural development review and planning workshop at Swakopmund on Monday.
According to data from the Namibia Statistics Agency, the country’s unemployment rate is 36.9%, while youth unemployment stands at 44.1% among people aged 15 to 34.
!Nawases-Taeyele said the Food/Cash for Work Programme is not a permanent answer to unemployment.
“It gives people temporary income, helps create community assets and strengthens the resilience of families facing difficult economic conditions,” she said.
She urged regional councils to work closely with the ministry to improve rural development planning.
!Nawases-Taeyele urged regional councils to strengthen cooperation with the ministry to support better planning and decision-making for rural development projects.
