Omusati: Omusati Governor, Immanuel Shikongo, has urged residents of Onandjaba to join the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia in order to access decent housing. Shikongo made the remarks on Thursday during the Okalongo community outreach day, emphasizing that community members can secure adequate homes by supporting such initiatives.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Shikongo highlighted that by supporting initiatives like this, numerous citizens could transition from living in shacks and makeshift structures to residing in decent houses, particularly in informal settlements. He noted that the initiative has positively impacted many local authorities and transformed people's outlook on life.
Shikongo stated that the Shack Dwellers Federation is currently constructing 3,106 houses, funded through the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development at a cost of N.dollars 137 million. Additional private sector contributions include N.dollars 3.5 million from Standard Bank through the Buy-a-Brick initiative for 76 houses, N.dollars 1 million each from the FirstRand Foundation through FNB and the Pupkewitz Foundation for 22 houses each, N.dollars 500,000 from Ohorongo Cement for 11 houses, N.dollars 80,000 from Okongo Build It for two houses, and N.dollars 40,000 from Kambwa Trading for one house.
Shikongo also encouraged beneficiary communities to support the initiative by contributing their time and energy to tasks such as digging trenches and laying foundations for the construction of these houses.
Standard Bank's Head of Marketing and Communications, Margreth Mengo, stated that the initiative has constructed more than 740 houses since its establishment. Since its launch in 2015, the initiative has raised over N.dollars 27 million, contributing to more than 740 homes nationwide for low-income families.
One of the beneficiaries, Beata Ndeulita, expressed her gratitude and encouraged fellow residents to join the federation. She emphasized the importance of planning and saving up to secure a home, expressing her happiness and pride in having a place to call home with her family.