Namibia throws weight behind ‘stand-up’ campaign on poverty

AS World Poverty Day was marked yesterday, Namibians joined 100 other countries in the Global Campaign against Poverty (GCAP) to set a new world record for the most number of people to literally “stand up” for a single cause.

There are reports of 200 000 people taking a stand against poverty at eight football matches across Spain on Monday, while 30 000 cricket fans stood up in Jaipur, India, at the ICC England versus India cricket match on Sunday. Church services across Africa also united in mass ‘stand-ups’ on Sunday.The results of the official record attempt were to be announced late yesterday during simultaneous events in London, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Dhaka.In Namibia, Lutheran Bishop Zephaniah Kameeta and women’s rights campaigner Veronica de Klerk of Women’s Action for Development (WAD) were presented to the public as Namibia’s campaigners against poverty during a function organised by the Namibia Development Trust (NDT) yesterday.”On Saturday the Sam Nujoma Stadium at Katutura will be filled with thousands of people who will stand up against poverty on behalf of Namibia,” said Theo Uvanga, campaign co-ordinator of the NDT.”Poverty is a shame and should be eradicated now,” said Norman Tjombe, Director of the Legal Assistance Centre.”It is time to fight a battle for the future for our grandchildren; for too long we have been fighting the battles of our grandparents.”WAD’s De Klerk said the blame for Africa’s poverty could not always be put on the colonial era.”Some cultural practices should be changed in African society, also in Namibia, like lavish weddings where the whole village comes to feast, and the same goes for expensive funerals,” De Klerk said.”The payment of lobola for brides in African society should be abolished and the money rather spent on education of children.The higher the education of an African bride is, the higher the lobola payment is and those costs could be used for better purposes,” she added.A lot of money was also going to traditional healers or witchdoctors and their muti (traditional medicine), and these costs could also be prevented, the outspoken De Klerk said.”The obsession of African society with large families should be changed, as too many children add to the burden of daily survival of families, many households headed by single mothers,” she said.Bishop Kameeta noted that too many Namibians had to worry each day if they would have food before they went to bed each night.”As long as a child (in Namibia) is dying of malnutrition and as long as people still go hungry each day, we are not a free society.”GCAP is a massive global coalition and is comprised of a diverse range of community groups, coalitions, trade unions, organisations, individuals, faith groups and campaigners, who are all committed to the fight against poverty.They have formed country-based coalitions, who use the symbol of a white band wrapped around their wrists to put pressure on world leaders and decision- makers to eradicate poverty and dramatically lessen inequality.Namibians can join Bishop Kameeta, Veronica de Klerk, human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe and other prominent citizens like Ombudsman John Walters from 10h00 on Saturday at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura to do their stand-up stint and help break the world record.Church services across Africa also united in mass ‘stand-ups’ on Sunday.The results of the official record attempt were to be announced late yesterday during simultaneous events in London, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Dhaka.In Namibia, Lutheran Bishop Zephaniah Kameeta and women’s rights campaigner Veronica de Klerk of Women’s Action for Development (WAD) were presented to the public as Namibia’s campaigners against poverty during a function organised by the Namibia Development Trust (NDT) yesterday.”On Saturday the Sam Nujoma Stadium at Katutura will be filled with thousands of people who will stand up against poverty on behalf of Namibia,” said Theo Uvanga, campaign co-ordinator of the NDT.”Poverty is a shame and should be eradicated now,” said Norman Tjombe, Director of the Legal Assistance Centre.”It is time to fight a battle for the future for our grandchildren; for too long we have been fighting the battles of our grandparents.”WAD’s De Klerk said the blame for Africa’s poverty could not always be put on the colonial era.”Some cultural practices should be changed in African society, also in Namibia, like lavish weddings where the whole village comes to feast, and the same goes for expensive funerals,” De Klerk said.”The payment of lobola for brides in African society should be abolished and the money rather spent on education of children.The higher the education of an African bride is, the higher the lobola payment is and those costs could be used for better purposes,” she added.A lot of money was also going to traditional healers or witchdoctors and their muti (traditional medicine), and these costs could also be prevented, the outspoken De Klerk said.”The obsession of African society with large families should be changed, as too many children add to the burden of daily survival of families, many households headed by single mothers,” she said.Bishop Kameeta noted that too many Namibians had to worry each day if they would have food before they went to bed each night.”As long as a child (in Namibia) is dying of malnutrition and as long as people still go hungry each day, we are not a free society.”GCAP is a massive global coalition and is comprised of a diverse range of community groups, coalitions, trade unions, organisations, individuals, faith groups and campaigners, who are all committed to the fight against poverty.They have formed country-based coalitions, who use the symbol of a white band wrapped around their wrists to put pressure on world leaders and decision- makers to eradicate poverty and dramatically lessen inequality.Namibians can join Bishop Kameeta, Veronica de Klerk, human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe and other prominent citizens like Ombudsman John Walters from 10h00 on Saturday at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura to do their stand-up stint and help break the world record.