Involve the poor in planning

MARIENTAL – The Governor of the Hardap region, Katrina Hanse, has stressed the need to involve the poverty-stricken masses of the country in the planning of programmes aimed at poverty alleviation.

In a speech delivered on her behalf by Theo Diergaardt, the Rehoboth West constituency councillor, Hanse said that poverty alleviation initiatives would only be successful through interactive dialogue between all stakeholders. The speech was delivered at the start of a two-day participatory poverty assessment (PPA) workshop conducted by the National Planning Commission (NPC) here on Monday.The workshop is part of an ongoing extensive exercise of the NPC and would be linked with the formulation of the Third National Development Plan (NDP3) and new regional development plans.One of the processes of the PPA is to stage start-up workshops, which aim to inform regional stakeholders about the assessments being made and to build regional and local sector commitment.According to the Chief Regional Officer (CRO) of the Hardap region, James Sankwasa, the envisaged workshop would grant opportunities for regional stakeholders to discuss roles and responsibilities, as well as to provide inputs to the research agenda.Some of the objectives of the workshop are to inform regional stakeholders about the importance, objectives and intended outcomes of PPA, discus and agree on a schedule of activities and research agenda.Hanse noted that the PPA was a tool for involving the poor people and their institutions to participate effectively in defining and analysing poverty from their own perspectives.”It provides an opportunity for developing a broader choice of poverty-reduction actions based on the specific concerns of poor and vulnerable people,” she added.A similar workshop is taking place in the Kunene Region while another has already been conducted in the Ohangwena Region in 2003.Two poverty assessment workshops took place in the Caprivi and Omaheke regions in 2004.-NampaThe speech was delivered at the start of a two-day participatory poverty assessment (PPA) workshop conducted by the National Planning Commission (NPC) here on Monday.The workshop is part of an ongoing extensive exercise of the NPC and would be linked with the formulation of the Third National Development Plan (NDP3) and new regional development plans.One of the processes of the PPA is to stage start-up workshops, which aim to inform regional stakeholders about the assessments being made and to build regional and local sector commitment.According to the Chief Regional Officer (CRO) of the Hardap region, James Sankwasa, the envisaged workshop would grant opportunities for regional stakeholders to discuss roles and responsibilities, as well as to provide inputs to the research agenda.Some of the objectives of the workshop are to inform regional stakeholders about the importance, objectives and intended outcomes of PPA, discus and agree on a schedule of activities and research agenda.Hanse noted that the PPA was a tool for involving the poor people and their institutions to participate effectively in defining and analysing poverty from their own perspectives.”It provides an opportunity for developing a broader choice of poverty-reduction actions based on the specific concerns of poor and vulnerable people,” she added.A similar workshop is taking place in the Kunene Region while another has already been conducted in the Ohangwena Region in 2003.Two poverty assessment workshops took place in the Caprivi and Omaheke regions in 2004.-Nampa