18 Sep 2014

Tertiary institutions are packed with students funded through the Remote Area Development Programme (RADP), the North West District Council (NWDC) chairman, Mr Lathang Molonda announced at the beginning of a full council meeting in Maun on September 15. 

Councillor Molonda said 114 students had enrolled for different courses at different tertiary institutions such as Ba Isago, GIPS, and Limkokwing.  “Out of this total number, 16 are sponsored directly by the council while 98 are sponsored by the Department of Tertiary Education Financing under the Ministry of Education, Skills and Development,” he pointed said.

He also indicated that RADP programme was progressing well considering that 256 remote area dwellers have been employed in various government departments over the past five years.

The council leader also observed that the housing programme had assisted greatly in providing habitable shelter to remote area communities, which will go a long way in restoring their dignity. 

Funded under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the housing programme has targeted 119 beneficiaries from 11 RADP settlements and, to date, 45 houses are complete, 19 are still under construction, while 55, allocated for the financial year 2014/15, have not yet started.

Regarding the poverty eradication programme, Mr Molonda revealed that so far 70 RADs have benefited from the programme; 49 of them benefited from agricultural packages, whereas 21 benefited from alternative packages.

He said the distribution of beneficiaries per constituency stood thus; Chobe 11, Maun East 22, Ngami 9, and Okavango 28. Councillors were also informed that Miss RADP 2013 had chosen a craft marketing project in which she would be marketing crafts from RADP settlements to make a profit. 

It was reported that the project started operating in July 2014 with stock amounting to over P9000.  Some of the Queen’s activities include charity work where she would donate 50 mattresses at Somelo Day Care Centre for use by children during her visit to the centre. ENDS