First Lady urges charity, business creation

The First Lady Monica Geingos has urged ordinary Namibians to reach out to each other to tackle poverty. “There are things that we have to do to alleviate the symptoms of poverty, which is charity. Give food and provide clothes, to try to help the next Namibian. Everyone must do what they can,” said Geingos. She was speaking this past Friday at a lunch she hosted in honour of her predecessors Kovambo Nujoma and Penehupifo Pohamba at State House. Geingos has identified social empowerment and economic inclusion, as well as the promotion of business, as ways of fighting poverty. “The reality is that it starts with creating more businesses. We are going to have a focus on youth enterprises, enterprises in townships, in order to assist them to scale-up and enterprises in rural economies,” said Geingos. Geingos, who holds B.Juris and LL.B. degrees, is the youngest laureate of the Namibian Business Hall of Fame. She married President Hage Geingob earlier this year on Valentine’s Day. Geingob has made an all-out war against poverty the cornerstone of his government. He established the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, which is headed by Bishop Zephania Kameeta. Geingob also increased the old-age pension from N$600 to N$1 000 a month earlier this year. Kameeta further indicated that Geingob’s government was seriously looking into the implementation of a basic income grant (BIG). WINDHOEK STAFF REPORTER