Youth skills alleviate future poverty

SKILLS imparted to the youth will significantly lower future poverty levels in regions, which can be done by opening more vocational training centres and universities and bringing them closer to the people as well as providing free education from pre-primary up to tertiary level.

That was one of the points outlined at the regional consultative meeting on the national dialogue on wealth redistribution and poverty eradication at Oshakati last week which was attended by people from various sectors of the community.

The deputy minister of poverty eradication Aino Kapewangolo and Oshana governor Clemens Kashuupulwa led the proceedings at the meeting.

The meeting was told that 21% of people in the Oshana region survived on less than N$12,50 per month per person.

Concern was voiced about plans to reintroduce the basic income grant (BIG) and food banks into the region citing that it could create a dependency syndrome among the people instead of encouraging them to help themselves. Communal farmers were encouraged to continue ploughing their fields despite the possible reintroduction of BIG.

As a way of reducing poverty, women and the youth were encouraged to start small projects like gardening and sewing to generate income for themselves instead of waiting for handouts and for government to assist them with the necessary funding. A major constraint identified was the wastage of water during the month of flooding. It was suggested that government builds catchment dams so that the run-off water can be harnessed to benefit human and animals in times of drought.

The meeting was also told that the water can be used for irrigation projects to produce food for the people and the surplus stored in food banks. The meeting observed that excessive alcohol consumption among the youth and pensioners was one of the major contributors to poverty and that government must stop the mushrooming of shebeens and bars by stopping issuing of licences to these establishments and by also shortening their operating hours.

The fact that there are still a lot of people especially orphans and pensioners who were struggling to get their national documents from the ministry of home affairs was given as reason why they are unable to receive their monthly grants and thus are exposed to poverty.

The meeting further noted that the region was failing to reap the benefits of its natural resources due to lack of skills among people and that such skills could only come through education.

Kapewangolo said the regional consultations aim to build a national consensus and to stimulate inclusive and innovative proposals for wealth redistribution to arrest poverty.

“You the stakeholders must suggest how to effectively and sustainably drive a national wealth redistribution agenda, which points to high levels of skewedness with resources only vested in the handful few”.

Kashuupulwa said the task of balancing and bringing together all the views expressed at regional consultative meetings so far is not easy – yet an essential one.

“We are looking to the forthcoming compendium of goals and targets and the focal areas with great expectation,” he said.

He further said the views of stakeholders count and can influence outcomes and decisions in a way that looks outside the box of the poverty ministry and other institutions.

This is an important contribution for ensuring an open and inclusive society.

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