Day: March 15, 2024

WINDHOEK: Namibia is rapidly becoming the leading light of the Empretec Programme, a capacity building initiative specially designed to encourage entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.

The Empretec Namibia Programme was first launched in 2019 as a partnership between the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The programme aims to promote entrepreneurship as an essential component of economic growth and development in Namibia. Empretec has been proving its positive impact for over 30 years since it was first launched in Argentina by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Since it was first piloted in Namibia in 2019, close to 2 000 entrepreneurs have graduated from the programme. Last year, 1 400 entrepreneurs completed the training, while 90 were the first to graduate in 2019.

Henry Kisting, one of Empretec Namibia’s alumni, said the programme gave him special skills that allowed him to run his upholstery business
in Windhoek.

‘I can say the programme really helped me a lot in the sense that it opened my eyes to things like how to plan, aggressive marketing, and how to look for business opportunities. To be honest, I was lacking in many areas of running a business,’ Kisting said, while encouraging other aspiring entrepreneurs to take part in the programme.

Elina Emvula, who operates a decoration business at Grootfontein, also had good things to say about the programme. She said her participation in the programme in 2019 gave her a boost to run her small business, which manufactures a range of wood furniture, kitchenware, and wall decor.

‘It really boosted my skills to run my business. When I started, I did not really know what I was doing. Even up to now, I still have my notes from the workshop, and at times when I get stuck, I still go back to my notes to boost myself,’ said Emvula, who also recently opened a restaurant in Grootfontein.

The 2024 edition of the Empretec programme was launched in Windhoek recently,
and the launch coincided with the first entrepreneurial training that began on 04 March and was attended by 30 entrepreneurs.

During the six-day workshop, participants were exposed to behavioural entrepreneurial competencies that are associated with successful entrepreneurs worldwide.

The CEO of Empretec Ghana Foundation, Dunwell Eku, who also conducted the workshop, noted that the programmes are unique from other entrepreneurial training programmes.

Eku emphasised that the programme takes a behavioural approach to entrepreneurship, and that it is more practical, interactive, and experience-based.

‘Over the years, I am aware that governments have invested in a number of funded training programmes that focus on learning some financial and management skills, and I am aware that in some countries, government funding is as much as 90 per cent of start-up capital, and it did not work,’ Eku said.

‘So this workshop is about getting entrepreneurs to understand that there is something within them, and if they bri
ng it out and practice it, it can become a part of them. They can apply it in all situations that confront them.’

Romanus Haironga, one of the 30 participants who finished training last week, expressed gratitude to the Empretec Programme for helping him gain new insights into managing a business. The aspiring entrepreneur from Kavango West said he is venturing into small and medium businesses training and coaching in his region.

He said the workshop was about changing the mindset of entrepreneurs, which he said is the biggest challenge for business owners.

‘The biggest challenge is our mindset, and we need to change that. For example, I learned that you can start a business without money, but our mindset is that you need a lot of money to start a business, that the government is not giving us capital, and so forth. Therefore, the approach of the Empretec programme is changing that mindset, that entrepreneurs can even start with little money,’ Muronga said.

Industrialisation and Trade Minister, Lucia Iipum
bu, who launched this year’s programme, said that Empretec Namibia seeks to train local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and larger enterprises into appropriate entrepreneurial behaviour, to ensure that they can create sustainable businesses.

In partnership with Empretec Ghana, the minister said they aim to train up to 180 trainees this year.

‘We also aim to work with both UNDP and UNCTAD to ensure that Empretec Namibia is certified as a global centre by the end of this year. In addition, we aim to create a pool of trainers who will become the resource for Namibian trainers to carry out these trainings themselves. Further, we are working with the Ministry of Higher Education and its agencies to initiate work to accredit our training,’ Iipumbu said.

Speaking at the launch, UNDP Resident Representative, Alka Bhatia, said Empretec Namibia intends to build resilience and boost confidence in MSMEs.

With rising unemployment in Namibia, Bhatia said the programme aims to empower small business o
wners with the skills necessary to become productive in the national economy.

She also commended the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade for its idea to set up a blended financing programme that will provide grants and loans to MSME at a nominal interest rate.

In support of SMEs, the Ministry of Finance has increased the ministry’s budget by 31.7 per cent to N.dollars 365.5 million in 2024/25 financial year and a total of N.dollars 1.2 billion over the medium-term expenditure framework.

Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi has said that funding has been allocated to the equipment aid scheme, Start-Up Namibia and Empretec Namibia to facilitate domestic trade activities and build domestic entrepreneurship capacity.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Thirteen Mining sites in Dabel Location, Moyale Sub-county in Marsabit County are now a disturbed area, interior Cabinet Secretary (CS), Prof Kithure Kindiki, has declared.

Prof. Kindiki has also ordered for a one week rapid assessment in the affected County, to ascertain if there were other areas with mineral deposits and which could attract a problem, akin to that in Dabel.

The CS who toured the area, soon after issuing a gazette, notice declaring the mining area as dangerous, said Kenya was a country governed by the rule of Law and advised that every investment should be carried out as per the Constitution.

He noted with satisfaction that the local County Security Teams had managed to clear the affected area, popularly known as Hillo, of the thousands of illegal artisanal miners, majority of whom were migrants from outside the country.

Prof Kindiki directed the County Police Commander, Nyambu Mwakio, to ensure that the affected area was not accessed by any person, including public servants and ensure
it remained an operation area as stated.

The gazette notice signed, today, by the CS read in part, ‘Pursuant to Section 8(1) of the Public Order Act, Cap 56 of the Laws of Kenya, and Section 106(1) of the National Police Service Act, no person may be found present in the areas specified in the Gazette Notice at any time without the written authority of the County Police Commander, Marsabit County.’

The CS pointed out that it was of great concern how unauthorized aliens moved into the country and started exploiting highly valuable minerals with unknown beneficiaries of the proceeds.

‘We have no room for any security breach’, he said, adding that it was mind boggling how foreigners ended-up at the as their motives could be suspect.

The mining sites that were declared security zones are Hilo Karray, Hillo Hudda, Hillo Qoranjido, Hillo Irress Shindia, Hillo Rabaalee and Hillo Godde Haroressa.

Others include Hillo Gorgora, Hillo Orofa, Hillo Walkite, Hillo Tanzania, Hillo Iress Abamartile, Hillo Gootu and Hil
lo Tessum Qalicha.

The CS, however, asked the County Security Team headed by County Commissioner, Nobert Komora, to allow miners with machinery like crushing units on the ground to move them away.

In addition, Prof. Kindiki made it clear that no any other government agency would be allowed into the remedying and restoration of the area, which has also been subjected to huge environmental degradation.

He asked the County Commissioner, to task National Government Administrations in the 10 Sub-counties and the State Department of Mining in establishing other potential mining areas in Marsabit, so that appropriate measures can be taken to avoid a repeat of what happened in Dabel.

Also present was the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Noor Gabow, Senior Superintendent Inspector of Mines, Jidruph Baru and the County Criminal Investigations Office (CCIO), Luka Tumbo.

Last Sunday, a skirmish between two groups of artisanal miners left Six people dead and scores of others with injuries over control of gold depo
sits at Hillo Orofa mining site.

Source: Kenya News Agency

OPUWO: World Wetlands Day was commemorated at Opuwo on Thursday under the theme ‘Wetlands and human wellbeing’, emphasising the critical role of wetlands in human prosperity and a healthy planet.

World Wetlands Day is an annual event held to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands and promote their conservation and sustainable use. It marks the date of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty aimed at conserving and sustainably managing wetlands around the world.

During the event, Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein spoke of the significance of protecting Namibia’s wetlands, highlighting their diverse ecological functions and their significance as habitats for numerous species.

Schlettwein further emphasised the importance of wetlands in human health, food security, agriculture, and conservation efforts.

‘Maintaining healthy freshwater wetlands means securing water supply. Our rural communities depend on wetlands for food and building materials
such as reeds and timber to construct their houses,’ he added.

The minister also referenced World Water Day, which is celebrated annually to promote the value of freshwater and the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

‘Demand for water in the world and Namibia has been increasing and will continue to do so over the coming decades due to population growth, socio-economic development, and increased food production,’ he noted.

Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Phamba Shifeta stated at the same event that the world is losing wetlands three times faster than it is losing forests, with more than 80 per cent of wetlands having disappeared since the 1700s.

‘The trend is accelerating even further since the Ramsar Convention to protected wetlands was signed, and since then at least 35 per cent of the wetlands have been lost,’ he said.

Shifeta said human activities and climate change are the primary causes of wetlands degradation and loss, which in turn have a detrimental impact on human liv
es and welfare.

He urged traditional authorities and regional and local government officials to help promote the culture of wetland conservation, stating that concerted efforts at the local level will ensure that Namibia’s wetlands are protected and continue to provide much-needed ecosystem services to both society and the environment.

Wetlands are habitats that hold water, either continuously or seasonally, and the Kunene Region has over 15 wetlands.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Thirteen Mining sites in Dabel Location, Moyale Sub-county in Marsabit County are now a disturbed area, interior Cabinet Secretary (CS), Prof Kithure Kindiki, has declared.

Prof. Kindiki has also ordered for a one week rapid assessment in the affected County, to ascertain if there were other areas with mineral deposits and which could attract a problem, akin to that in Dabel.

The CS who toured the area, soon after issuing a gazette, notice declaring the mining area as dangerous, said Kenya was a country governed by the rule of Law and advised that every investment should be carried out as per the Constitution.

He noted with satisfaction that the local County Security Teams had managed to clear the affected area, popularly known as Hillo, of the thousands of illegal artisanal miners, majority of whom were migrants from outside the country.

Prof Kindiki directed the County Police Commander, Nyambu Mwakio, to ensure that the affected area was not accessed by any person, including public servants and ensure
it remained an operation area as stated.

The gazette notice signed, today, by the CS read in part, ‘Pursuant to Section 8(1) of the Public Order Act, Cap 56 of the Laws of Kenya, and Section 106(1) of the National Police Service Act, no person may be found present in the areas specified in the Gazette Notice at any time without the written authority of the County Police Commander, Marsabit County.’

The CS pointed out that it was of great concern how unauthorized aliens moved into the country and started exploiting highly valuable minerals with unknown beneficiaries of the proceeds.

‘We have no room for any security breach’, he said, adding that it was mind boggling how foreigners ended-up at the as their motives could be suspect.

The mining sites that were declared security zones are Hilo Karray, Hillo Hudda, Hillo Qoranjido, Hillo Irress Shindia, Hillo Rabaalee and Hillo Godde Haroressa.

Others include Hillo Gorgora, Hillo Orofa, Hillo Walkite, Hillo Tanzania, Hillo Iress Abamartile, Hillo Gootu and Hil
lo Tessum Qalicha.

The CS, however, asked the County Security Team headed by County Commissioner, Nobert Komora, to allow miners with machinery like crushing units on the ground to move them away.

In addition, Prof. Kindiki made it clear that no any other government agency would be allowed into the remedying and restoration of the area, which has also been subjected to huge environmental degradation.

He asked the County Commissioner, to task National Government Administrations in the 10 Sub-counties and the State Department of Mining in establishing other potential mining areas in Marsabit, so that appropriate measures can be taken to avoid a repeat of what happened in Dabel.

Also present was the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Noor Gabow, Senior Superintendent Inspector of Mines, Jidruph Baru and the County Criminal Investigations Office (CCIO), Luka Tumbo.

Last Sunday, a skirmish between two groups of artisanal miners left Six people dead and scores of others with injuries over control of gold depo
sits at Hillo Orofa mining site.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nakuru County Government is working with the National Government to upgrade to upgrade the Mirera Technical and Vocational Training Institute (TVET) in Naivasha to be a constituent branch of the two National Youth Service (NYS) Training colleges in Nakuru County.

Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kiarie Kuria said this will improve the quality of training at Mirera TVET and ensure job placement for its graduands, just like the NYS graduands.

He stated that his ministry in conjunction with Nakuru County Government are sourcing for fund to enable it link this TVET to NYS training colleges in Naivasha and Gilgil and promised that the graduands will be able to be placed in jobs in the disciplined forces and elsewhere.

The CS was speaking when he visited Mirera Technical and Vocational Training Institute (TVET) in Naivasha on Thursday.

‘We will also upgrade this TVET which will see enrollment at Mirera TVET increase from the current 200 to 1,000 and equip
many youths with skills that will help them get earn a living,’ Kuria said and at the same time called for a partnership between TVET institutions and National Youth Service (NYS) to ensure local youths get requisite skills and bridge knowledge gap that today’s market needs.

The CS assured the youth that despite the challenge of brown teeth prevalent in Nakuru that has denied the young people jobs in the army and police, with this upgrading the young people from the larger Nakuru and Naivasha in particular will now be able to get those jobs.

The presence of fluoride in water which leads to browning of teeth has for a long time denied youths from Nakuru County jobs in the disciplined forces as the requirement for the jobs has been based on white teeth among other requirements.

Kuria also announced that plans were at advanced stage to set up a digital hub at the Mirera Technical and Vocational Training Institute (TVET) in Naivasha to create jobs for the young and lamented lack of jobs for young people had le
d them to engage in social ills such as drugs and alcoholism and crime.

‘The Government has also secured a 5,000acre land in Maai – mahiu in Naivasha for the Special Economic Zones and this too will help absorb unemployed youths,’ the CS observed.

He revisited the issue of One shilling; One vote and said resources should be distributed according to the size of the population to benefit from it and not the geographical size.

‘For example, you find a constituency of a population of 300,000 people voters being allocated the same amount of bursary with the constituency with a population of 70,000 this is not fair,’ Kuria stated.

During his visit he was accompanied by the Nakuru Deputy Governor David Kones.

Source: Kenya News Agency

By Eratus Ndueh

The Central African Stock Exchange (BVMAC) plans on splitting its shares to make financial market participation more accessible to low-income earners in the Central African sub-region. The pronouncement was made by the director general of BVMAC, Louis Banga Ntolo, during the 10th edition of ‘Ring the Bell for Gender Equality,’ an event led by UN Women to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

According to the Director General, this reform is mentioned in their plan of action for the year 2022-2026 and it aimed at facilitating the financial inclusion of low-income earners especially for marginalized groups such as women, youths, and operators in the informal sector without them necessary needing a bank account before they trade in the stock exchange market.

To ensure the success of this project, BVMAC plans on working with fintech companies operating in the field of mobile money, a payment method approved by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), which identifies individuals through a microchip.

‘We will conduct splits similar to those in other stock exchanges, allowing shares listed on the BVMAC to be priced at CFA 500 without altering the rights associated with a security. Thereby facilitating the purchase of assets with an electronic wallet,’ the director general explained.

This ongoing reform at BVMAC will also have a positive impact on Cameroonians as it will increase the rate at which they invest in the stock exchange market.

‘This measure is going to ensure that more people get interested in investing in the stock market. Instead of sending the money to a ‘njangi’ ( common meeting group) each month, you can use the money to buy shares in the Central African Stock Exchange market, and then earn huge at the end of the year. This means that more people are going to be using the formal financial system to the benefit of local businesses who will be able to raise funds to expand their operations,’ Henri Kouam an economist expounded.

According to data from the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), the financial inclusion rate was 32% in the CEMAC zone in 2021. To increase this rate to 60% by 2027, the central bank is focusing on innovation and expanding digital financial services in the sub-region.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The government has launched a 3 year project that will address productivity, post-harvest management and expand market access for African Indigenous Vegetables (AIV)

The project is being funded by USAID Feed the Future Horticulture Innovation Lab to a tune of Ksh 104.2 million (USD750,00) in the next three and a half years and will involve AIVs small holder farmers specifically women and youth

This project is also being carried out by the research teams led by Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) , in collaboration with the University of Nairobi (UON) and the North Carolina State University (NCSU)

Speaking today when launching the project, KALRO Director General Eliud Kireger said there is untapped potential of AIVs and therefore there is need to enhance their productivity, streamline post-harvest management practices and facilitate better market access.

‘This initiative is not just about improving yields or increasing profits; it is about empowering our farmers, especially women an
d youth, revitalizing rural communities, and promoting food security and nutrition for all Kenyans’, he said .

He noted that through collaborative efforts, the project will address various challenges that have hindered the full realization of the potential of indigenous vegetables from inadequate access to quality seeds and inputs to poor post-harvest handling techniques and limited market linkages.

‘By harnessing the inherent resilience and adaptability of AIVs, we can build a more resilient and diversified agricultural system that is better equipped to withstand the challenges of climate change and other external shocks’, Dr. Kireger said .

The DG explained that Indigenous Vegetable is one of the prioritized value chains under BETA for food and nutrition security; and income generation as well as a priority value chain in County Integrated Development Plans for both Kisii and Kakamega Counties where the Connecting Research, Education, and Outreach (CREdO) programme will be undertaken on a pilot basis.

D
r. Mumina Shibia, the Principal Investigator for the project said the project aims to address the issue of pre-harvest losses, post-harvest loss management value addition, processing, aggregation enhancing market linkages and capacity building, which is very important.

‘This project highly targets youth and women in the two pilot counties of Kisii and Kakamega that were selected due to their high population density, small land sizes typically managed by small holder farmers and prioritizing the AIVs as a key value chain by the Counties.

‘What this project is expected to deliver and the first point of interventions that we are looking at is issues of commercialization of the African indigenous vegetable value chain, starting from the seed systems and commercialization, the issue of germplasm, and then from there we deliver on reduction of pre and post-harvest losses’, Dr. Mumina said .

She explained that African indigenous vegetables despite their adaptability to local conditions experience high losses in t
erms of post-harvest of between 40 to 50 percent of the production due to sub standard storage practices.

‘ Our point of intervention will be from the pre-harvest perspective such that it does not lead finally to post-harvest even as we address the post-harvest management’, Dr. Mumina said adding that the project will also strive to provide safe and quality AIVs products. Through value addition such as smoothies, coming up with different recipes and targeting different consumers.

Prof Jane Ambuko from UON and Co-PI said they hope that the project is going to move the needle in unlocking the potential of ALVs as a source of possible nutrition for communities, but also source of livelihood for vulnerable groups, women, People living with disability and even the youth.

‘It has potential across the chain, from production all the way to market linkages. We know the story of ALVs is not new in Kenya, but all the time we talk about potential, so this time we hope that with the resources available, we will unlock
that potential right from production, increasing productivity so that we produce efficient quality and the quantity vegetables that is expected and can be accessed by the consumer’, she added.

Prof. Peter Ojiambo, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Plantomology at North Carolina State said the African indigenous vegetables has always been seen often as a women crop and therefore the project wants to ensure that there is a change in their livelihood particularly because they bear the family of what is happening at home .

‘We also want to empower the youth as well, because we know unemployment is a major problem here in Kenya. But AIV provides an avenue for them to get employment and to be self-reliant with the general care of gain over the years through the colleges and training’, he said.

Dr. Penina Yumbya East Africa Horticulture Regional Hub Manager said that as a host organization for the Feed the Future Innovation lab the channel which USAID is funding the project it was a long process whi
ch targeted Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia and proposals were done by over 55 organizations from the region

‘The process of reviewing ended up with us picking only 3 projects from the 55 proposals and one of them was the KALRO one on AVLs’, she said adding that the project is ideal as the PIs will be working directly with the small scale farmers and also the youth.

‘Our end goal, and what we are looking forward to is that after 3.5 years, we will have an impact on the lives of those people we are working with to enhance their lives of course, in terms of nutrition and economic empowerment’. Dr. Yumbya said.

In Kenya, African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) are primarily cultivated by small holder female farmers particularly in urban areas where commercialization efforts are increasing. However challenges such as seasonality low productivity and post-harvest losses imped meeting the rising demand ,

There are over 210 AIV species that play a critical role in addressing micronutrient deficiencies due to their rich
natural content. Indigenous Vegetable is also one of the prioritized value chains under BETA for food and nutrition security; and income generation,

Source: Kenya News Agency

Mango and dairy farmers in Murang’a listed in the minimum guaranteed subsidy programme will from April this year receive their financial support from the county government in form of e-voucher.

Since last year, more than 21, 000 farmers from the two sectors have been receiving the subsidy in form of cash with the county government changing the mode of payment in order to seal loopholes in the programme.

The Governor Irungu Kang’ata’s administration has announced the listed farmers will get e-voucher to enable them access farm inputs and foodstuff from locally prequalified agrovet stores and shops.

The county government established a subsidy programme early in 2023 to help mango and dairy farmers to increase production as well as caution them from fluctuation of prices.

Mango farmers were receiving Sh 3.50 per kilo of delivered produce while those in dairy farming were getting Sh7 per delivered litre of milk.

‘The county administration will stop issuing cash support and instead introduce an e-voucher mob
ile phone-based system. Milk and Mango farmers will redeem the said vouchers in agro vets across the county for various items including dairy meal, Artificial Insemination, maize/sorghum seedlings and foodstuffs,’ read part of the notice issued by the county government.

The move to change mode of giving subsidy through e-voucher the county administration stated it was informed by advice from various stakeholders so as to make the programme more impactful.

With the e-voucher, the devolved unit promised to increase the number of beneficiaries by 20,000, by the end of March this year.

In the notice, the county explained that with the new mode of payment of subsidies all farmers will get an equal amount which will ensure support to the majority of farmers.

‘With the e-voucher, the county government will increase the number of farmers benefiting from the programme.’ read part of the notice.

The county administration further announced that from March 14 to March 24, it will conduct a farmers’ list verification
exercise and public participation meetings in every ward.

With the e-voucher, Kang’ata’s administration stated farmers will spend the county’s resources strictly on inputs and not on other unrelated matters.

‘The farmers who stop supplying milk/mango to their respective cooperatives will be easily detected and replaced. This method will also support other stakeholders like agrovets and veterinary officers.’ indicated the county government.

Source: Kenya News Agency