Maria David
THE Oshana Regional Council is making significant strides in its rural sanitation initiative, aimed at improving public health and dignity for vulnerable communities, according to Council spokesperson Nuusita Ashipala.
According to Ashipala, during the 2024/2025 financial year, the Council planned to construct a total of 225 standard VIP toilets across all 11 constituencies in the region.
She explained that this initiative specifically targets elderly citizens, orphans, people living with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups who lack the means to afford proper sanitation facilities.
“To date, approximately 120 toilets have been completed during the current financial year, with contractors actively working to deliver the remaining units despite the ongoing floods in the region,” she said.
She added that the Council has budgeted about N$3.3 million, which has been allocated to this vital project.
Of this amount, Ashipala said over N$2.2 million was used to purchase fibre cabin materials, which were then handed over to the Rural Development Centre for the construction of the toilet top structures.
Additionally, she indicated that an amount of N$284,200 was invested in purchasing bricks from local brickmakers within the constituencies.
The remaining N$764,865 was allocated to pay 112 unemployed youths who were engaged in the construction of the toilets across the eleven constituencies.
She stressed that this sanitation project directly aligns with the region’s strategic objective to “Promote Health and Support Efforts to Reduce Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.”
“The key performance indicator for this initiative is the number of rural sanitation facilities constructed,” she added.
In the previous financial year, 2023/2024, Ashipala indicated that a total of 161 facilities were built, highlighting the Council’s continued commitment to expanding access to sanitation.
Furthermore, Ashipala noted that the region plans to construct an additional 140 sanitation facilities in the current financial year at a projected cost of over N$2.3 million.
“This next phase is expected to create 86 temporary jobs for the youth and 11 jobs for local brickmakers, further contributing to local economic empowerment and community development,” she added.
She then stressed that they remain committed to enhancing the quality of life for all residents through inclusive, sustainable infrastructure and health initiatives.
