Keetmanshoop residents are currently receiving training in horticulture, mushroom cultivation and value addition to improve food security and livelihoods.
The training conducted by the University of Namibia (UNAM) started on Monday and will run until Thursday.
The initial training took place last year, and it was initiated and also funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) together with UNAM through the Multidisciplinary Research Services.
Mushrooms and vegetables add nutrition, variety and affordability to diets. Through this training, participants will have knowledge on how to produce improved nutritious food that will help improve household food security and create income for themselves.
Mushroom cultivation is more complex, which is divided into many different stages. So we are taking them from the beginning all the way to where they actually produce and are able to market and sell their products," says UNAM facilitator Dr Earl Lewis.
Lewis said that at the end of the day they want this training to help communities become more self-reliant.
"Long-term we hope this programme will increase their sustainability, especially in terms of drought or financial challenges, where they will be able to produce their own food, hopefully sell and market their own products and basically just improve their overall diet and well-being of all communities and households."
We spoke to one of the 15 participants, Dorren Basson.
"The way forward for us since we are doing the mushroom seedling stage, when it's full, we will put in the substrates. Hopefully, when we have the right room temperature, the mushroom will start growing in a business consumption way and a personal consumption way; we can sell it, and for the garden, if we started growing our vegetables, we can make use of it, make our own spices and tomato paste and market it."
Lewis added that they brought essential equipment needed for the vegetable gardening and it will be left at the centre for the community to continue with their production even after the training ends.