Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) on Wednesday visited microbusinesses which have benefited from funding by the Australian high commission to monitor their progress.
The tour followed up on a pilot intervention project launched in March in collaboration with the Khomas Regional Council.
The project identified 50 small-scale businesses which had been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to benefit from a A$50 000 grant, with each beneficiary receiving N$2 500 either in cash or a voucher.
On tour was Khomas governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua, secretary general of the NRCS Glynis Harrison, and Edward Humphreys, the honourary consul at the Australian consulate in Windhoek.
The Australian high commission responsible for Namibia is located in Pretoria, South Africa.
Humphreys on Wednesday said the grant was in response to an appeal by the NRCS for financial assistance to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which had been paralysed by the lockdown.
“We are happy to support this unique initiative of the Red Cross and the Khomas Regional Council to provide finance to micro enterprises hit by the pandemic.
“We are pleased to make a small contribution to this initiative, which is a pilot project. By the look of the initial results, it was well received and could be taken to other regions too,” he said.
McLeod-Katjirua thanked the financers and implementers of the initiative, saying it was a good project.
“The intention was to look at the SMEs impacted by Covid-19 and to try and uplift them to the levels before Covid-19 set in.
“A common issue among the different businesses is that they were all down before the intervention, but today they are happy they were uplifted to reach a certain level of activity,” she said.
Harrison said the NRCS is a donor-driven organisation with a mandate auxiliary to the government in terms of disaster management, which focuses on food security, livelihoods and healthcare.
“We solicit support from donors, and although Namibia is rated a middle-high-income country, there are needs to be addressed,” she said.
Harrison said the NRCS works with other stakeholders, like the Khomas Regional Council, to solve problems in communities without imposing solutions on them.
Red Cross disaster management programme coordinator Dinelao Gabriel said the beneficiaries were selected by a committee according to a 60:40 ratio in favour of women and young people.
“As we looked for businesses affected by the lockdown, the business must have existed before Covid-19 set in,” she said.
According to Gabriel, the Red Cross is a humanitarian organisation, which is why liquor establishments did not qualify for the grant.
The beneficiaries were selected after a rigorous screening exercise involving councillors to ensure the money is used for its intended purpose.
Four business owners were visited on Wednesday, starting with Engelbertha Ndjavera, who runs a shoe repair shop at Soweto Market.
Ndjavera said the N$2 500 had gone a long way in boosting her business as she could now acquire materials to resuscitate her collapsing venture.
“I am grateful for the donation, which gave me a lifeline,” she said.
Taukondjo Kamukwatanga and his wife, Lovisa Niigambo, also expressed their gratitude for the donation which enabled them to revive their biltong business at home in Havana.
“We are very happy and grateful to the Red Cross and the Australian high commission. During the lockdown, we sent four workers home, but have now called back two,” Niigambo said.
Kamukwatanga said during the lockdown, they could not get access to meat supplies.
They closed their shop at Soweto Market and relocated to Havana, but now, people from as far as Oshakati and Lüderitz are their customers.
The group also visited Luise Ndimulunale’s dressmaking boutique and Victory Uupindi’s home shop at Agste Laan, Otjomuise.
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