08 May 2017

Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) chief executive officer, Dr Raphael Dingalo has underscored the need for partnerships with government in driving community development.

He said there was need for independent sectors to join hands with the government and play a pivotal role where possible as the government alone could not afford to develop communities or bring developments all at once.

He said this during a welcome ceremony of four nominated beneficiaries from Xaixai in the Ngamiland district who completed a successful short course on basic installation of solar system from India.

The beneficiaries went to India in September 2016 through a partnership between, North West District Council, Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) and Indian government.

HRDC acts as government’s advisor on human resource development and also provides a platform for the public sector, private sector and civil society to act in concert to drive the National Human Resource Development Strategy (NHRDS).

However, Dr Dingalo said as an independent entity they found it fit to partner with the Okavango Sub District Council and complement their mission.

The council’s mission is committed to improving the quality of life through effective and efficient delivery of basic infrastructure and social services in partnership with stakeholders.

He explained that their friendship with Indian government started February last year and they were requested to bring people who could be trained on installation of solar system hence they liaised with the council and village leadership to nominate people from Xaixai.

He observed that as the council, their aim is to work with the nation at large and contribute meaningfully towards improvement of their living standards.

He noted that they believe that every individual has a capability which could be enhanced and developed so that it benefits him/her despite where they come from.

He said the course undertaken by the beneficiaries would bring change to the communities as the beneficiaries would extend the skills to others while on the other hand they would manage to earn a living.

Dr Dingalo revealed that the trainees would start projects that would keep them active in solar lighting adding that the projects could also assist pupils in their studies and eventually improve their school results.

“We would talk to the village leadership, business community and solar maintenance teams to come here and appreciate the program because we want to see it being rolled out to their villages,” he added.

Okavango Sub District council chairperson, Mr Mbahahauka Kambimba commended HRDC for a job well done in augmenting their efforts to improve the lives of people in remote areas.

He said what they did would indeed bring a difference in the lives of the beneficiaries and eventually the residents as they would now be able to buy the lamps from them.

He said for a long time, people had been depending much on government assistance and believed that going forward as many would graduate as currently, they are taking advantage of available programmes.

Mr Kambimba said it was the intention of the council to see the communities venturing into projects that contributed significantly to the local economy.

For her part, one of the beneficiaries, Ms Rimana Marenga said they had learnt a lot from India noting that besides installation of solar system, they were also impressed by the Indian culture as women were independent.

She said most of the women in India had ventured into serious farming and reduced government dependency syndrome.

The area councillor, Mr Lelejwang Sokwe advised the beneficiaries to impart their acquired knowledge and information to primary school pupils. BOPA