The Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia engaged stakeholders in an effort to support and strengthen food security.

The initiative will link food banks with existing programmes such as backyard gardens and the Total Control of the Epidemic project.

Other partners are the Shack Dwellers Federation, the !Hoachanas Project, DAPP Namibia, Val en Opstaan, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform.

Speaking at the engagement was the head of the project, Maria Kadjungu.

"The other key advocacy area is maternal and child health. This includes aspects of breastfeeding, it includes the thousand days, which are the first days of a child's life, and the Ride Starts campaign that was just launched recently by the government." 

Nutritionist at NAFSAN, Carmen Letlhagoje, emphasised that Namibians could suffer from the double burden of malnutrition and over-nutrition.

"So they all coexist together, its not a thing of undernutrition happening, but overnutrition is not happening, it's both happening. It's just not in the same area, maybe, or you might not be exposed to it, but that is what's currently happening in Namibia."

NAFSAN said the partnership will not only provide immediate food assistance but also strengthen long-term food security by promoting small-scale food production and nutrition awareness.

One of the beneficiaries, Pineas Kandjii, is concerned about a lack of proper water provision.

"We would, however, appreciate any assistance rendered to us to add additional reservoirs or to help strengthen the low water pressure that has become a challenge in Hoachanas because there are a lot of gardens in Hoachanas, and the capacity of the reservoirs that we have available in Hoachanas is not sufficient enough to carry all these loads."

The aim of this project is to highlight the need for good nutrition and embrace healthier nutritional practices within their economic limitations, while influencing the national advocacy process through trained civil society organisations.