Day: August 6, 2024

WINDHOEK: The National Housing Enterprise (NHE) has a housing backlog of 300 000, with 120 000 applicants on its waiting list since 2005.

NHE Chief Executive Officer Gisbertus Mukulu while speaking at the Government Information Centre here on Tuesday said the Khomas Region’s waiting list stands at 33 000 followed by Erongo with 35 000, while there are 22 000 applicants on the waiting list in the northern regions. In the southern and north eastern regions, there are 15 000 applicants on the waiting list.

Mukulu said since its inception in 1993, the NHE has constructed 21 545 houses. He noted that 40 to 45 per cent of Namibians are unable to afford houses, therefore the company has come up with deliberate interventions which include building houses that do not have finishes such as tiles, amongst others, to accommodate ultra-low and low-income earners.

He noted that the design of houses without finishes include bachelor flats costing N.dollars 70 000 to N.dollars 80 000, one-bedroom houses costing N.dollars
100 000, two-bedroom houses costing N.dollars 120 000 and three-bedroom houses that cost close to N.dollars 200 000.

‘This is the type of house that most Namibians can afford and the reason we cut out some of the finishes is simply to make it more affordable. The inhabitants will then be able to expand that house as soon as the financial situation of that individual has improved, instead of providing a house that is expensive and out of reach,’ he explained.

Mukulu also noted that NHE does provide houses for middle-income earners and above, noting that other services include providing building loans to clients who own plots, or existing clients who want to expand their houses.

He indicated that the biggest challenges NHE faces include scarcity of serviced land, the high cost of serviced land; the credit readiness of clients, and the increased cost of building materials, as well as limited funding.

Source : The Namibia News Agency

WINDHOEK: The Capricorn Foundation recently donated 10 infusion pumps valued at N.dollars 264 500 to the Gobabis State Hospital Pediatric Ward.

These pumps are essential for administering fluids to malnourished children admitted to the ward.

Veripura Muukua, Capricorn Foundation Coordinator, in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday said the pumps were handed over last week. She said approximately 2 000 cases of malnutrition were registered in Namibia this year, with 300 cases in the Omaheke Region alone between January and June 2024.

The Capricorn Foundation’s health focus area strives to improve health outcomes by improving nutrition and increasing access to healthcare, she explained.

‘We are grateful that we can make a difference in the lives of Namibians, especially children. Our support for the Gobabis State Hospital Pediatric Ward falls under our health focus area, where we address health-related issues and support better health outcomes,’ she said.

Muukua explained that in March 2024, representatives
from the foundation visited the Gobabis State Hospital Pediatric Ward to understand the malnutrition situation in the Omaheke Region and identify ways to provide support.

In response to the hospital’s urgent needs, the Capricorn Foundation purchased 10 infusion pumps for the Pediatric Ward. This donation builds on previous support, including providing nutritional and protein-rich food items valued at N.dollars 291 000 in February 2024 through a partnership with the Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia (NAFSAN).

The infusion pumps and previous nutritional support are part of the Capricorn Foundation’s broader effort to address health-related issues and improve health outcomes in Namibia, particularly in regions severely affected by malnutrition, she stated.

Governor of the Omaheke Region, Pijoo Nganate on his part noted that the malnutrition crisis has been exacerbated by drought and food insecurity in the region.

‘I express my sincere gratitude to the Capricorn Foundation for donating these inf
usion pumps to the Gobabis District Hospital Pediatric Ward. Our most vulnerable are children, and they cannot stand for themselves. This donation comes at a critical time and demonstrates the importance of collaborative efforts in improving healthcare services,’ he said.

Source : The Namibia News Agency