Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Helao Nafidi Town Council has set up a garden on its premises as part of its efforts to address unemployment and hunger.
THE Helao Nafidi Town Council has set up a garden on its premises as part of its efforts to address unemployment and hunger.
Two community members are operating the garden.
The produce from the garden is sold to the community and the profit goes to the two youths running the project.
The town’s mayor, Darius Shaalukeni, told The Namibian that the council decided to venture into community gardening to encourage unemployed youths to go into agriculture and set up their own backyard gardens and generate an income through the sale of produce.
“The garden is being run by two youths from our community and all the profits earned go into their pockets. The council does not benefit from the garden and the produce is sold in the community. The aim of this garden is to motivate unemployed youths on the streets and also to prove to the community that backyard gardening is possible and it is profitable,” he said.
The garden uses semi-purified water.
“I am a bit disappointed, because we, as the council, have tried to encourage and motivate the residents to venture into backyard gardening, but the community is not forthcoming. Only a few residents have taken up the initiative. We have even reduced our semi-purified water rates from N$8 to N$4 per cubic metre, but the residents are not impressed at all. We want every household to have a backyard garden and say no to hunger in our town,” said Shaalukeni.
Two community members are operating the garden.
The produce from the garden is sold to the community and the profit goes to the two youths running the project.
The town’s mayor, Darius Shaalukeni, told The Namibian that the council decided to venture into community gardening to encourage unemployed youths to go into agriculture and set up their own backyard gardens and generate an income through the sale of produce.
“The garden is being run by two youths from our community and all the profits earned go into their pockets. The council does not benefit from the garden and the produce is sold in the community. The aim of this garden is to motivate unemployed youths on the streets and also to prove to the community that backyard gardening is possible and it is profitable,” he said.
The garden uses semi-purified water.
“I am a bit disappointed, because we, as the council, have tried to encourage and motivate the residents to venture into backyard gardening, but the community is not forthcoming. Only a few residents have taken up the initiative. We have even reduced our semi-purified water rates from N$8 to N$4 per cubic metre, but the residents are not impressed at all. We want every household to have a backyard garden and say no to hunger in our town,” said Shaalukeni.
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