Help drill a borehole in northern Namibia

What we are planning to do

The Etoto Horticultural Project plans to develop a horticultural project in our local community. We currently grow butternut squash and oranges on a small scale, but we want to enlarge the area we cultivate to grow a broader range of fruit and vegetables and generate more income.

We farm on 10 hectares of communal land and only need the consent of the headman to increase the area we plan to cultivate. However, a major obstacle to developing our project is the drought that we have experienced in this part of Namibia in the last five years, which we believe is a direct result of global warming. The solution to the lack of water to irrigate our crops is to sink a borehole. We have commissioned a water survey which recommends a suitable site and depth for drilling a borehole. We do not have the financial resources to pay for the drilling, but we can get government support to install a solar-powered pump. We expect to raise some money ourselves through sales from this year’s butternut squash harvest, which will cover minor items and other incidental expenses.

Why the project is needed

The horticultural project is needed to provide food security for our community and to generate income from the sale of surplus produce. This income will provide much-needed employment for approximately ten local people in the longer term.

Lack of water has other severe implications for our community. One of our group members is a community health practitioner as well as working on the project part-time. He has documented widespread health issues, especially amongst children, due to a lack of access to clean water for drinking and washing. For example, clean water is needed to treat scabies, which is a serious issue in the community.

Location of the project

The project will be located in Etoto in the Kunene Region of Namibia. Etoto is a remote village about 60 km from Opuwo and 25 km from the main road between Kamanjab and Ruacana.

Start date for the project

We plan to start drilling for the borehole in October 2022. Our local climate suits a planting period from December to February, and water will be needed to irrigate the young plants. Drilling the borehole beyond October will be difficult because the wet and muddy conditions will hamper access for the drilling trucks at the start of the rainy season.

Initially, we expect progress to be slow followed by steady improvement in harvesting, job creation and sustainability.

How the project will benefit the Etoto community

Etoto is an isolated and remote village scattered over a wide area. It has a population of approximately 3700 people drawn from the Himba, Dhimba and Ovambo tribes. The population has increased in recent years due to immigration from neighbouring Angola, which has also been badly affected by drought.

Currently, very few people have regular paid employment and the majority sustain themselves and their families through small-scale subsistence farming, with maize and millet being the staple crops. Some people keep a small herd of goats.

The community will benefit from access to clean water and the horticultural project's supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. As irrigation enables the project to expand, surplus produce can be sold in nearby centres of population. The income generated will benefit about ten people working part-time for the project.

The trees that will be planted will assist in mitigating global warming. The unlawful killing of wild animals for food will reduce as the community diverts its energy into gardening. The weeds from the garden will be used for animal feed.

Project composition

The project was initiated by a group of six people. One member of the group works in community health and two are teachers who can work in the garden at weekends and during school holidays. The other three do not have jobs elsewhere and are available to work full-time on the project. The project leader, Johannes Shikale, will be responsible for planning and mentoring, which will be done at weekends.

Training will be needed periodically. The Ministry of Agriculture will provide training on request. We have a technician allocated to Etoto through the Ministry’s extension office (Otjisokotjongava - Opuwo) area. Private mentors are also available.

Budget

N$70,000 (= approximately £4,000 or 4,700 euros)