Namibia
USAID's Strategy in Namibia
In its first 15 years of independence, Namibia has made impressive
progress establishing a free, viable nation. Few other countries
in Africa invest as much in the education and health of their
people; the press is one of the most free; and it has one of
the highest “business competitiveness” rankings
and one of the lowest levels of corruption. However, Namibia
is confronted by two formidable challenges: controlling one
of the world’s worst AIDS epidemics and correcting the
world’s worst income disparity that leaves far too many
in poverty. To help Namibia overcome these challenges, USAID
has provided over $161 million between FY 1991 through FY 2005.
Our assistance spans the “ABCDE’s” of development:
• AIDS and TB prevention, care, and treatment
• Basic education
• Community-based natural resource management
• Democracy and governance
• Employment creation/Enterprise development
AIDS AND TB PREVENTION, CARE, AND TREATMENT
To respond to one of the worst HIV/AIDS epidemics and the highest
tuberculosis (TB) case rate in the world, the United States
is providing $42.8 million in 2005 through the U.S. President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. USAID’s programs focus
on providing care and services to orphans and vulnerable children
(OVC), reducing the spread of HIV through prevention activities,
and supporting Namibia’s national TB program. USAID programs
provided home-based care to 23,000 people and services to 18,000
OVC. Over 15,000 clients received counseling and testing at
12 centers, and 5 hospitals provided antiretroviral treatment
and services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
IMPROVING BASIC EDUCATION
A recent regional education report indicated that only a third
of Namibia’s sixth grade students had acquired needed
reading and math skills. USAID is helping Namibia improve the
quality of English, math, and science instruction for students
in grades 1-7 by providing 4,000 teachers with training on new
teaching methods. School improvement programs piloted by USAID
were so successful that the Namibian government decided to expand
them nationwide. To address the problems in the education sector
caused by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, USAID provided educational
support to 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children while training
1,400 principals and education administrators on HIV/AIDS mitigation
strategies.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE HELPING COMMUNITIES
More than 70 percent of Namibians, many living in poverty,
reside in rural areas and depend upon natural resources for
their livelihoods. USAID helps establish protected areas called
conservancies and works with residents to develop business plans
that generate income while conserving wildlife and resources.
USAID also works at the national level to support the coordination
and integration of national policies and laws governing natural
resources. The number of conservancies in Namibia has increased
from 4 to 31 and has led to the creation of an additional 3,500
full and part-time jobs. Approximately 7.87 million hectares
are under conservancy management and wildlife numbers, such
as elephant, are increasing. At the same time, financial benefits
to participants have increased to approximately $2.25 million.
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY
As one of the youngest democracies in Africa, Namibia’s
democratic institutions and processes need strengthening. USAID
provides training to help Members of Parliament improve their
constituency outreach, especially in underserved rural areas,
and to more effectively use committees and public hearings.
USAID also provides grants and technical assistance to civic
groups and community-based media organizations to enable them
to advocate around local issues. It is now easier for Namibians
to communicate with their elected officials and two-thirds of
the bills introduced in Parliament received public comment.
Training has helped create more transparent legislation, and
vigorous debate has increased in both houses of Parliament.
IMPROVING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND INCOMES
Namibia’s relatively high per capita GDP of $1,930 masks
severe poverty as Namibia has the highest income inequality
in the world. To promote job creation and economic growth, USAID
provides training and assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises
to improve their regional competitiveness. To help build private
sector capacity, USAID facilitated over 285 business links between
large and small firms and strengthened the business skills of
over 7,000 Namibian entrepreneurs.
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