Anker youth say weak connectivity shuts them out of jobs

Young people who live in Anker in the Kunene region say they are cut off from vital employment, funding and development opportunities due to poor connectivity and weak information-sharing systems.

Senior traditional councillor in Anker, Michael /Gomeb, said many youths are being left behind simply because they do not receive timely information about available opportunities. “There was a rural development funding project, but applications closed already, and our children did not even see the opportunity,” /Gomeb said.

He said unreliable network coverage and inconsistent dissemination of information by responsible stakeholders continue to exclude rural youth from online applications, job advertisements, and development programmes. “Our youth are not seeing opportunities and community development projects,” he added.

/Gomeb further raised concerns about the long distances residents must travel to access basic services, noting that Anker falls under the Sesfontein constituency, about 270 km away, despite being significantly closer to Kamanjab. “Why must we travel so far to get assistance and reach local authorities?” he asked.

A local pensioner and resident of Anker said the situation is creating a sense of hopelessness among young people and often pushes them toward harmful behaviours such as alcohol and substance abuse. “Anker is small. There are no extramural activities for our children, such as choirs or community projects. If they do not have jobs, what else can they do but drink?” he said.

‘Hopeless’

A young resident, Veronica Tjiveze, described the situation as dire.

“The network is really poor here. It does not work at all – that is the biggest problem," she said.

"Even when we come across job adverts, there is absolutely no way for us to send our CVs through email or WhatsApp. We have to drive 100km to Kamanjab just to access network coverage and apply for opportunities. But where would we get transport money if we do not work?”

Her remarks highlight growing frustration among residents of remote settlements, who say administrative and communication gaps are worsening inequality between urban and rural communities.

Moreover, despite current stakeholder interventions, residents say urgent action is needed to ensure that rural youth are not systematically excluded from national development opportunities due to a lack of information and infrastructure.

Efforts underway

In response, the information and communication technology ministry said it is aware of the concerns, pointing out that the issues were acknowledged during stakeholder engagements in the Kunene region in January.

“We wish to assure young people in rural settlements, especially Anker, that they are not forgotten or excluded because of limited communication infrastructure," information officer Matty Kaminzi told Namibian Sun.

"Through initiatives such as ICT centres, the Universal Service Fund, and partnerships with local authorities and traditional leaders, the ministry is working to bring services closer to communities and expand digital access,” Kaminzi added.

She confirmed that several rural communities in Kunene and other regions, including Ohangwena, Kavango East and West, and Oshikoto, have already benefited from new telecommunications towers under Phase 1 of the programme.

“Under Phase 2, we have earmarked two additional 4G-enabled towers for Opuwo Rural and Epupa constituencies, with plans to extend free Wi-Fi to nearby schools and clinics for seven years,” she said.

“We acknowledge that effective dissemination of information in remote areas depends on strong collaboration with local leadership to ensure communities are reached, even where connectivity is limited. Local authorities remain a key channel for communicating government programmes and opportunities,” Kaminzi added.