Community health workers squat for jobs

A small group of trained community health extension workers are squatting indefinitely at the entrance of the health ministry's head office in Windhoek in a desperate attempt for jobs. The group, who are part of more than 640 trainees who completed the community health worker programme in 2017, insist they will remain camped at the health ministry, without shelter or access to sanitary facilities, “until the matter is resolved”.The group claim they quit their previous jobs before attending the 2017 health worker programme with because they were promised jobs subsequent to successfully completing the training. The ministry however this week again buckled down to say that “the reality on the ground is that we do not have the resources to employ community health workers, though the ministry needs them in the community”.Ministry executive director Ben Nangombe told Namibian Sun that to date, a total of 2 337 community health extension workers were trained since the inception of the programme six years ago. He confirmed that the 649 trainees who completed the programme in 2017 have not been deployed “due to the economic situation”.Nangombe emphasised that “being trained by the ministry does not mean they are to be employed by the ministry. The probability of employing them was there, but by the time they finished their training, the economic situation of the country had changed.”He added that the ministry can offer no new positions “and this does not only apply to the ministry of health and social services”.The group told Namibian Sun they met with Nangombe on Tuesday afternoon, and that he had been by to see them, but the message has not changed: “It's the same story. Be patient.”This week, Willem Kayongo (34), a spokesperson for the 640 trainees, says the broken promise of jobs has taken a heavy toll on their personal lives, with many plunged into poverty and “worse off” than before they began the training. JANA-MARI SMITH

Community health workers squat for jobs

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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Community health workers squat for jobs

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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