Communities in Kayova Village within the Ndiyona Constituency in Kavango East celebrated a belated World Food Day.
The day aims to raise worldwide awareness and action for the elimination of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
Statistics from the Office of the Prime Minister's Drought Relief Programme reveal that 15,000 households in Kavango East are food insecure.
The governor of the Kavango East region, Bonifatius Wakudumo, talks about families who lost their loved ones in the region due to suspected food poisoning.
"What stands out the most is the Korokoko incident involving four siblings in 2021, and the most painful was the Kayova 16 that we all know of. LINK We need to acknowledge and learn from success stories elsewhere, mostly from our neighbouring African states that have put agriculture as the backbone of their economies, to motivate our actions further."
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, NamWater CEO Abraham Nehemia emphasised the importance of this year's theme.
"As we celebrate World Food Day this year under the theme "Water is life, water is food, Leave no one behind", we are reminded that we need to produce more food and other essential agricultural commodities with less water while ensuring that water is distributed equally, our aquatic food systems are preserved, and nobody is left behind."
Leadership in the region identified three needy households in the constituency who were then presented with food items as part of the World Food Day commemorations.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN organises activities and events like these in an effort to end hunger and promote a healthy lifestyle for their citizens. FAO's representative in Namibia says the organisation is ready to meet the government halfway.
"We will considerably support and work together with the national government, regional government, and stakeholders to provide technical support. In this event, we will support two farmers to develop their productions," says the FAO representative, Qingyun Diao.
The World Food Day celebrations also included a water walk and the exhibition of agriculture stalls.