The Ozonahi Conservancy and Community Forest handover project materials to the community to strengthen grassroots conservation efforts in the area.

As part of the conservancy efforts to support sustainable rural development, 16 different projects benefited from the initiative.

The projects supported include horticulture, poultry, dry cleaning and a soup kitchen.

Secretary for the Ozonahi Conservancy, Golden Katjatako, highlighted, "We always believe that the true conservative goes hand in hand with community empowerment. We cannot protect our national resources without uplifting our people who live alongside them."

John Uazukuani, the Chairperson of Otjozondjupa Western Conservancy, said, "We are not here to support the project that will be a white elephant project; we are here to promote you from the conservancies and also the government, but we want you to prove that at least you will provide food for your own household and your neighbours."

Beneficiary Jackson Hindjou welcomed the support, pledging their commitment towards food security. 

"We know as a community, we are faced with hunger, insufficient food security and also looming drought that is forecast for Namibia, so we are going to work very hard from the different projects that you supported to ensure that we provide to our communities what we know: the high prices of food, the food prices that we have in Namibia and the high cost that the country is experiencing, so we want to play our part. Materials bought for all projects cost the conservancy N$176,000."