Omitara goes BIG

Omitara goes BIG

THE small settlement of Otjivero at Omitara has been chosen as the test ground for the Basic Income Grant (BIG) Coalition’s efforts to halt poverty in its tracks.

After more than three years of trying to convince Government and others of the benefits that a N$100 monthly social grant holds for every citizen, the coalition on Monday officially declared their transition from word to deed. A total of 1 005 Otjivero residents were registered at the end of last month, and from January they will receive N$100 every month for two years.”Your son taught his disciples to pray – give us this day our daily bread.For many there was no bread, now this prayer can be answered,” the coalition’s most vocal activist, Bishop Zephania Kameeta, said in a prayer at the start of the ceremony.Omitara, situated about 150 km from Windhoek, was chosen for the pilot programme after various communities were screened, Kameeta said.The area’s selection had to be kept a closely guarded secret until registration had been completed, he said.This process took the whole of one day, the coalition said.But while the initiative has now taken off, the coalition has still not raised the entire N$2,4 million needed to see it through the 24-month period.”If we had (the total amount), this evening would not have been necessary,” Kameeta told those in attendance.”We have an account and we have some money in this.We have promises and (people with) good intentions.But we do not yet have the total amount,” he said.He urged Namibians from all walks of life to contribute to the initiative.The first person to accept the challenge was the country’s first Prime Minister, Hage Geingob, who pledged N$4 800 to support two people for the two-year period.Geingob was the first parliamentarian to openly support the idea for a BIG in March, when he said that the Namibian economy was robust and healthy enough to support such a grant.”We certainly have the capacity to address poverty frontally and the BIG is certainly one instrument we should consider,” Geingob said then.On Monday, however, Geingob did raise one concern, namely that the grant could create dependency.He was answered by the coalition’s Reverend Dirk Haarman, who said because people don’t lose the grant upon getting better employment, they would not have to choose between working or getting the grant.The programme will be reviewed throughout, Kameeta said, while successes and challenges faced would be analysed every six months.The coalition said it would not set rules on how the money should be spent by the recipients, but will advise them on how to make the best use of it.The fund will be distributed by the United Africa Group, which is also responsible for distributing pensions.A total of 1 005 Otjivero residents were registered at the end of last month, and from January they will receive N$100 every month for two years.”Your son taught his disciples to pray – give us this day our daily bread.For many there was no bread, now this prayer can be answered,” the coalition’s most vocal activist, Bishop Zephania Kameeta, said in a prayer at the start of the ceremony.Omitara, situated about 150 km from Windhoek, was chosen for the pilot programme after various communities were screened, Kameeta said.The area’s selection had to be kept a closely guarded secret until registration had been completed, he said.This process took the whole of one day, the coalition said.But while the initiative has now taken off, the coalition has still not raised the entire N$2,4 million needed to see it through the 24-month period.”If we had (the total amount), this evening would not have been necessary,” Kameeta told those in attendance.”We have an account and we have some money in this.We have promises and (people with) good intentions.But we do not yet have the total amount,” he said.He urged Namibians from all walks of life to contribute to the initiative.The first person to accept the challenge was the country’s first Prime Minister, Hage Geingob, who pledged N$4 800 to support two people for the two-year period.Geingob was the first parliamentarian to openly support the idea for a BIG in March, when he said that the Namibian economy was robust and healthy enough to support such a grant.”We certainly have the capacity to address poverty frontally and the BIG is certainly one instrument we should consider,” Geingob said then.On Monday, however, Geingob did raise one concern, namely that the grant could create dependency.He was answered by the coalition’s Reverend Dirk Haarman, who said because people don’t lose the grant upon getting better employment, they would not have to choose between working or getting the grant.The programme will be reviewed throughout, Kameeta said, while successes and challenges faced would be analysed every six months.The coalition said it would not set rules on how the money should be spent by the recipients, but will advise them on how to make the best use of it.The fund will be distributed by the United Africa Group, which is also responsible for distributing pensions.

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