Two civil society organisations have joined forces to create a project to enhance youth participation in democratic processes.

The N$11 million-dollar project titled 'Strengthening Democratic Participation: Namibia Needs Me' is the collective brainchild of the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

The project is aimed at enhancing participation in democratic processes through civic education, targeting youth and those in secondary and tertiary learning institutions.

Over 30 houses belonging to Shack Dwellers Federation members in Swakopmund's Mondesa suburb have been electrified with solar energy.

The houses were electrified through the Towards an Inclusive Design Renewable Energy Transition (TIDRET) project that is being implemented by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF).

The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) and Erongo Red signed a memorandum of understanding for the rollout of the project.

The TIDRET solar electrification project piloted in the Erongo Region is core-funded by the GIZ and the European Union.

The European Union (EU) is ready to support the implementing agency for the agreement on critical and sustainable raw materials as well as that for Green Hydrogen.

The Head of the EU Delegation in Namibia, Ambassador Sinikka Antila, and President Hage Geingob discussed this during a courtesy call at State House.

Namibia and the European Union signed a partnership on sustainable raw material value chains and renewable hydrogen in 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Egypt.

The United Nations estimates that close to 260 million people in close to 60 countries around the world face acute food insecurity that requires urgent intervention.

The report by the Food Security Information Network attributed the status quo to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, and weather phenomena.

The report was launched by the Global Network Against Food Crises, an international alliance of the UN, the EU, and governmental and non-governmental agencies working to tackle food crises.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Namport will jointly build a green hydrogen supply chain between Namibia and Europe via the Port of Walvis Bay. 

President Hage Geingob says Namibia and several other African countries remain neutral in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and will continue to call for de-escalation.

About 17 African countries overwhelmingly declined to vote in a UN resolution condemning Russia's actions last year, with some citing historical support Russia offered during the continent's fight against colonialism.

The European Union wants to include new policy areas of cooperation with Namibia under the Global Gateway strategy.

The Global Gateway is part of EU's offer to its partners with investments to secure links in digital, and energy transport sectors as well as strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.

EU delegation Commissioners, Jutta Urpilainen for International Partnerships and Thierry Breton for Internal Market paid a courtesy call on President Hage Geringob at State House.

Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, in charge of International Partnerships at the European Union, paid a familiarisation visit to the mix informal settlements, 20 km north of Windhoek. 

The EU, through its Budget Support Programme, funded an Early Childhood Development Centre at mix which opened in April last year. 

With close to 11 000 inhabitants and more than 4 000 households, people living at mix informal settlements are no strangers to high rates of unemployment or poor service delivery. 

The EU has funded five Civil Society Organizations with more than N$ 32 million.

The funding will enable the organisations to continue their work effectively.

Civil Society Organisations working in a wide range of sectors, such as nutrition and food security,  youth and women empowerment, media ecology and sustainable urban development.

Beneficiaries include Shack Dwellers Association, Namibia Food Security Alliance of Namibia, Institute for Public Policy Research and Namibia Media Trust, and Women's Action for Development and Hope Initiative. 

 European Union and the National Planning Commission jointly launched an Annual Action plan 2022, committing 437 million dollars for the three programs in the area of early childhood development, governance and gender.

The three programs will strengthen the bond between Namibia and the European Union. 

Foundational education is allocated N$ 291 million dollars, for governance and gender equality N$ 45,5 million and the Technical Cooperation Facility receives N$100 million.