The Councillor for the Tsumkwe Constituency, Johannes Haufiku, with the Women's Action for Development, has undertaken to train unemployed youths in short courses.

The training comes after the San people did not make it through recruitment in the Namibia Defence Force as a result of their low level of education.

The majority of those absorbed for training are women and young girls, most of whom are school dropouts.

Haufiku explains that the training of about 60 San and Otjiherero-speaking youths and women was necessitated by a lack of qualifications and skills in the community.

"When you see the recruitment list of the NDF, I was not happy, I was disappointed. Our agreement was that they would take 18 people from each constituency, but what happened was that they took those who were staying in towns more than those staying in rural areas. So we made a follow-up and were informed that most of those that were staying there did not qualify. They were looking at the qualifications. So, for us to add value to those ones, we need to educate them."

The free training covers office administration, computer studies, hospitality and tourism.

The constituency is home to over ten thousand inhabitants, the majority being the marginalised Ju 'Hoansi and !Kung San tribes.