Fighting hunger with urban gardening

Ashley Nyambe

FOOD insecurity is one of Namibia’s most significant challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic worsened this problem.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform therefore established the Build Back Better (BBB) agriculture programme, which is funded by the government of Japan in accordance with their supplementary budget priorities of 2020.

The objective of the BBB programme is to enhance food security in Namibia’s urban areas. The programme is jointly implemented through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Namibia and the local governments in the Erongo, Hardap, Kavango East and Khomas regions.

Auguste Kankondi is one of the programme’s beneficiaries from Farm Okukuna, urban municipal land in Goreangab in Windhoek and agricultural training centre for the community. The Municipal Council of Windhoek has granted it solely for the urban garden project.

Like many others in her community, Auguste moved to Windhoek in search of better opportunities but initially struggled to make that goal a reality.

“After completing Grade 12, I had to leave my village in Okahao, in the Omusati Region, because it wasn’t easy to get any job there. I decided to come to Windhoek to look for a job. After some time, I got a job, but I lost it again, and I was forced to stay at home for three years,” she explained.

As in Auguste’s case, urban migration does not always guarantee better opportunities. In fact, according to the UNDP, rapid urban migration puts more strain on urban infrastructure and services, as well as increases poverty and urban food insecurity.

Namibia’s BBB programme, therefore, aims to tackle urban food insecurity by teaching those affected how to grow crops in backyards.

“I did not know much about growing vegetables or herbs,” Auguste admitted.

“Farm Okukuna gave us training on making organic compost and how to grow different types of vegetables in winter and summer.”

The training Auguste received inspired her to start her own garden and with time she was able to feed her four children and sell some of the harvest to community members at a low price.

While this was not her original career plan, she is proud to be an urban farmer and uses her knowledge to teach others about urban gardening as well.

“Since the Covid pandemic, I could see how hunger affects my neighbours, so I took the courage to approach one woman who had so many small children. She did not have a lot of space, so I tried to show her to do urban agriculture differently from the way we grow mahangu in the village.

“I then showed her how to use old tyres to increase her vegetable garden. Since then, many people in Goreangab have come to me to learn, and I have trained them on how to build food circles and make compost. I believe this is my little way of helping to solve the problem of hunger in my community,” Auguste said.

INSPIRATION: Auguste Kankondi proudly shows off her backyard garden in the Goreangab suburb in Windhoek. The ripple effect of her community outreach is clearly visible as she continues giving advice and encouragement to budding urban farmers. Photos: Build Back Better

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