The Nyangana Roman Catholic Church in the Kavango East Region celebrated the lives of the elderly by sharing a meal with them. The annual event provides an opportunity for socialisation and connection, which reduces feelings of loneliness among the elderly. According to Ndongalinena Constituency Councillor Aselm Marungu, it also boosts mental well-being and a sense of belonging. "As I look around this building, I am not only seeing the pensioners, but I am also seeing pillars in our community that hold the foundation of the life that we are living today. This shows our history. It also demonstrates the love of the people who initiated this project. These kinds of events should be encouraged in our community." The idea was established by former Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa, Dr. Angelika Mukoya, Dr. Faustinus Shikukutu and Dr. Marius Kudumo. Brought up in the Roman Catholic Church, the four contributed N$3,000 each towards the event. "The idea came from Shikukutu for us to have this event and celebrate God's blessing of life. It is also meant to appreciate what our elders have done for us; one of the 10 commandments states that you should honour your father and mother, and you shall live a long time. The verse does not only refer to biological parents. Nowadays, some elderly people have no one to take care of them, and we thought one day a year could make a difference," said Dr. Kudumo.

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has called for urgent solutions to rescue residents of Ndongalinena Village whose homesteads are flooded by the irrigation system at the green scheme. Dr. Ngurare assessed the situation on Saturday. The affected families have been in the same situation for about ten years. With water surfacing in their yards, homesteads are constantly wet, making access to some areas difficult. To get to the river, residents have to cross muddy water, raising health concerns. Community spokesperson Sylvester Shivusu said they wrote a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry by John Mutorwa, dated 27 September 2017. "This office dispatched a regional team to conduct a preliminary investigation, and the report was produced on 2 October 2017. Based on the regional team's recommendation to the minister, the minister dispatched another team from Windhoek, the Directorate of Water and Resource Management, Hydrologic Division, on 14 October 2017. The team further investigated the situation, confirming the contents of the preliminary report. The finding released in the report dated 24 October 2017 stated, 'The presence of water in the Omatako channel is caused by the substance flow, and therefore the most plausible source of the draining would be from the irrigation field of the Ndonga Linena agriculture project'." Shivishu pointed to the lack of commitment by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform. Manager at Ndongalinena Green Scheme, Janno Rentle, said the issue does not only affect the community but small-scale farmers at the Green Scheme as well, but he added this year the situation is worse compared to previous years. Dr. Ngurare emphasised the situation requires urgency, citing the need to safeguard people's lives. "We have spoken to the line ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Water and Land Reform. We have also spoken to the Minister of Works and Transport, because the Governor told me that we needed an RA, and we need the engineers from your side, and you gave us a suggestion for the drainage. In fact, that is what should have happened a long time ago. It should have been done, but we cannot blame anybody. We take responsibility, and therefore, we are saying, beginning Monday, we want to start that work on the drainage, and we must heed the request from the traditional leader. The drainage must be within a protected area, that is, within the fence, so that it doesn't result in the undesirable consequences that he has spoken of. The decision is now in your hands. So what I would want to see is now you, the Councillor, and the Governor, and yourself, as well as the line ministry and the other minister, the Ministry of Works and Transport. So we must quickly cost this." The Prime Minister further added that a long-term solution is being explored. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka and Councillor of Ndonga Linena Constituency Anselm Marungu. #NBCNews #nbcdigitalnews #nbcDSTV282 #nbcGOtv20 #nbcPlusApp

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Executive director (ED) of agriculture Ndyipakupi Nghituwamata says operations at the Ndonga Linena green scheme are currently in full swing, with harvesting underway since Saturday. In a statement issued on Thursday, Nghituwamata said the scheme, as a key government-backed irrigation project, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first farm in Namibia to harvest maize for the 2025 cropping season. According to Nghituwamata, this was successful following the implementation of a Cabinet Decision in 2023, which led to the termination of AgriBusDev’s management of green schemes and the subsequent mobilisation of funds to revitalise four crucial projects: Ndonga Linena, Sikondo, Etunda, and Vhungu-Vungu. She says the scheme’s two 22ha centre pivot fields have yielded impressive results of 9.6 and 8.8 tonnes per hectare. “This represents a substantial improvement over last year’s averages of 8.2 and 4.6 tonnes per hectare, a testament to significant investments in new technologies, precision equipment, and detailed soil analysis,” she says. The ED says the ministry has been instrumental in supporting this progress through strategic investments in lime and organic materials, alongside the implementation of cover crops to enhance soil health. Nghituwamata says this focus on sustainable practices aims to ensure the long-term productivity of the land. Further, she says this season, the Ndonga Linena green scheme expanded its planted area to a total of 510ha, comprising 360ha of large-scale commercial plots and 150ha allocated to small-scale farmers. Nghituwamata says this is a significant increase compared to the previous year, which saw only 88ha planted on commercial plots. “Looking towards the 2026 season, the green scheme has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to cultivate 424ha for commercial plots, including 80ha designated for medium-scale farming,” she says. Moreover, she indicates that an additional 176ha will be reserved for small-scale farmers, targeting a total of 680ha and a projected maize yield of 5 400 tonnes. “This blend of technological innovation, sustainable practices, and strategic planning not only positions us as leaders in the Namibian agricultural sector but also emphasises our commitment to enhancing food security in the region and country at large,” she says. With these advancements, Nghituwamata says the Ndonga Linena green scheme sets a powerful example of how sustainable agriculture and technological innovation can drive economic growth and strengthen Namibia’s food security. The post Maize harvesting at Ndonga Linena green scheme underway appeared first on The Namibian.