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Hundreds of Children in “drought-ridden” Namibia Receive Salesian “nutritional support”

Don Bosco Youth Center provides 2 meals a day to give youth energy to focus in school. Credit: Salesian Missions

By Magdalene Kahiu

Rundu, 02 July, 2022 / 8:20 pm (ACI Africa).

Hundreds of vulnerable children in Rundu, Namibia, have received nutritional support from members of the Religious Institute of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SBD) in a collaborative initiative.

In a Wednesday, June 29 report shared with ACI Africa, Salesian officials say in the Southern African nation that is “drought-ridden”, children aged between three and 11 years have been provided with breakfast and lunch thanks to donor funding from the U.S. development arm of SDB, Salesian Missions. 

“Youth attending Don Bosco Youth Center, in Rundu, Namibia, received nutritional support,” SDB officials say in the June 29 report, and add, “Salesians running Don Bosco Youth Center were able to provide 200 children with two meals a day to help ensure healthy nutrition and give them the energy they need to be able to focus in school.”

SDB officials say the funding from Salesian Missions provided breakfast and lunch to the children who come from poor families. 

In the June 29 report shared with ACI Africa, Emily Liyando expresses her appreciation for the nutritional support she gets, saying, “We have nothing at home to eat so what I receive at Don Bosco is all that I have.”

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“I bring some (food) home to share with my grandmother,” the five-year-old orphan who lives with her grandparent adds.

In a January report, the vice-chairperson of the Welwitchia Farmers Union, Samuel Tsuseb, said elongated dry seasons caused by little rainfall “had created operational challenges for the farmers in the Kunene region, especially for livestock production.”

Government officials in the Southern African nation located in the Namib desert said several measures have been put in place to mitigate the effects of the prolonged drought. 

Governor Erginus Endjala of Omusati Region said the national government had provided funds to drill boreholes, adding that Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture had facilitated the feeding of some people in the region. 

Based in the Vicariate Apostolic of Rundu, the Don Bosco Youth Center was established in 2002 to provide shelter and services to homeless young people. 

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“The center offers computer classes for 65 students, preschool for 70 children and school for 104 students who have dropped out of formal education. In addition, more than 80 youth attend the daily oratory activities including sports programming,” the June 29 report shared with ACI Africa indicates.

According to a World Bank report, Namibia is one of nine African nations in Africa considered as upper middle income. The report that was last updated April 7 indicates that poverty is still prevalent with extreme wealth imbalances.

In the June 29 report, the Salesians say their programs in Namibia focus on education.

“Salesian primary and secondary education in the country helps youth prepare for later technical, vocational or university study,” SDB officials say, and add, “Other programs help to support poor youth and their families by meeting the basic needs of shelter, proper nutrition and medical care.”

Magdalene Kahiu

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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