31 Mar 2015

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Philip Makgalemele has challenged Maun residents to consider the one village one product model at ward level in the move to eradicate poverty.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Maun on March 30, Assistant Minister Makgalemele said about 45 programmes were geared towards poverty eradication. He said government was aiming to eradicate poverty by March 2017; therefore the communities’ involvement was essential.

He said in a way to propel the achievement of eliminating poverty, government had seen it fit for the programmes to be driven at ward level. Therefore, he implored Maun residents to take the projects in their wards to ensure sustenance and improvement of lives.

He also challenged Ngamiland residents to come up with additional viable programme ideas to add to the existing 45. Mr Makgalemele advised that as Ngamiland region was home to artifacts such as weaving, the residents could do that as a viable project and the government will assist in securing markers externally.

He said the three complex contributing factors to poverty eradication are unemployment, poor health and illiteracy. Furthermore, he pointed that government is making efforts to tackle the contributing factors to achieve poverty eradication.

He noted that the ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) was awarded a lion’s share in the 2014/15 budget to eliminate illiteracy, noting that some children got educated and developed their poor families.

Mr Makgalemele further said the communities are encouraged to form cooperatives through any project, adding that they can also be formed at ward level.

One of the residents, Mr Rabosigo Rabosigo said the one village one product idea was a welcome development. He however he said it should be implemented through the ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in association with the Village Development Committee (VDC).

Another resident, Mr Bethel Phoi said it was not possible for poverty to be eradicated by 2017, especially in the Ngamiland.  He said the backyard garden projects were failing due to water shortage and animal destruction, and suggested that they should be substituted by small stock farming.

However, the Poverty Eradication Coordinator from Office of the President, Mr Shumbe Ongadile said the poverty eradication projects like bakeries have helped many people across the country; therefore poverty eradication was possible by 2017. ENDS