Namibian Sun

Boreholes being drilled for olive plantation Work on the 20-hectare olive plantation at the Okombahe settlement in the Erongo Region commenced last month with the drilling of boreholes. Erongo Regional Governor Cleophas Mutjavikua, who launched the project in August last year, confirmed the drilling to Nampa this past Sunday. He said the drilling will be followed by the de-bushing of the area, situated some 10 kilometers west of Okombahe. The settlement is located about 60 kilometres west of Omaruru. “There is good progress, everything is according to plan. The citing, drilling, clearing and fencing are expected to be completed next month before they start with the water supply systems and later the actual planting, said the governor. Mutjavikua said the 20 hectares might be extended to 800 hectares as the project grows. The aim of the project is to ensure food security, employment and the alleviation of poverty in rural communities. This project was launched together with the dates project in the Otjimbingwe settlement and a greenhouse vegetable garden at Namanpost in the Daures Constituency. The Erongo Regional Council and Namsov Fishing Enterprises will fund the three agricultural projects to the tune of N$1 million. Vulnerable children urged to study hard The founder of the Erongo Education Fund (EEF) Clemmentine Tsumis-Garises has urged all grant beneficiaries to study hard and use the money wisely. Tsumis-Garises was speaking here during the fund’s first official hand over of study grants to 95 best performing orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the region. “The grants should be a motivation for you to study and succeed, give back to the community that assisted you because all of us expect the best from you, she said. An amount of N$205 000 was divided among primary and secondary school learners, and those studying at institutions of higher learning. Of the 95, six students studying Quantity Surveying; Engineering; Chartered Accountancy; Science; and Education received N$10 000 each to cover their tuition fees at the University of Namibia, Polytechnic of Namibia and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Tsumis-Garises, who is the deputy director of Quality Assurance Programmes in the Ministry of Education, said she wanted to help poor children afford to pay their education. “As I watched brilliant children losing out on education because of poverty, I became pregnant with the idea of starting a fund, and today we gave birth to our first baby which is the handover of grants, she said. Former president Dr Sam Nujoma officially launched the fund on July 19, 2013 to provide financial assistance to the best-performing OVC in Erongo. -Reports by Nampa