Nedbank, Agra Equip Otjomuise Households With Skills To Grow Their Own Food

Agra ProVision Manager, Fiona Anderson says equipping households with practical horticultural skills can strengthen food security and help reduce reliance on purchased vegetables.

This follows after Nedbank for Good Series this week supported 16 caregivers and community members at the Orange Babies Pappa Centre in Otjomuise with horticultural training to establish and maintain productive vegetable gardens.

According to a statement issued by the Bank on Monday, the initiative was implemented through a partnership between Agra ProVision and Nedbank Namibia under the Nedbank for Good Series. Participants received practical horticultural training and starter packs to help them establish and maintain their own vegetable gardens.

The initiative comes amid rising food costs that continue to put pressure on household budgets. By encouraging communities to grow their own vegetables, the programme aims to improve access to fresh produce, strengthen household nutrition and potentially reduce spending on purchased food.

Anderson said the initiative was designed to create benefits beyond the initial training sessions by giving participants skills they could apply in their homes and communities.

“Food security starts with knowledge and the ability to produce food sustainably. By equipping caregivers with practical horticultural skills and the resources to begin planting immediately, we are helping to build resilience within households and creating opportunities for communities to become more self-reliant,” Anderson said.

The training covered identifying plant-related challenges, selecting suitable crops and understanding how to grow vegetables successfully. The starter packs are expected to support the development of the centre's existing community garden.

Nedbank Namibia`s Head of Marketing and Communications, Janet Kapenda, said community development initiatives should address the underlying challenges facing households rather than provide temporary assistance.

“Across Namibia, many families continue to experience pressure from the rising cost of living. Initiatives like this are important because they do more than provide temporary assistance. They equip people with practical skills that enable them to produce food, support their families and create lasting value within their communities,” she said.

Since becoming a beneficiary of the Nedbank for Good Series in 2024, Agra ProVision has received N$576 000 to expand agricultural development initiatives aimed at improving food security and strengthening community resilience.

The funding has supported horticultural training and agricultural capacity development, with previous programmes reaching communities in different parts of the country through training and resources to establish vegetable gardens.

Orange Babies Pappa Centre Coordinator, Justina Shikongo, said the training had provided staff and community members with valuable knowledge and practical skills to develop the centre's existing garden.

She said the centre also plans to involve children through its Environmental and Gardening Club, giving them an opportunity to learn practical gardening skills and understand food production.

The centre hopes that, over time, the garden will contribute fresh vegetables to meals served to children attending its after-school programme.

The initiative therefore extends beyond gardening skills, with the potential to strengthen household food production, improve children's nutrition and encourage greater self-reliance among participating families.

Since its launch in 2020, the Nedbank for Good Series has raised more than N$1.87 million for community development projects across Namibia, supporting organisations working in education, food security and community development.

Kapenda said the value of the programme lay in the long-term benefits created through the projects it supports.

“The value of the Series lies in what the funding enables after the final round has been played. In this instance, it has supported training that can help participants make productive use of an existing garden, work towards greater food self-sufficiency and potentially contribute fresh produce to the Orange Babies after-school programme,” she said.

Agra ProVision will conduct a follow-up visit to assess the garden's progress and determine how participants have applied the training and resources provided.

Anderson said the visit would help the organisation understand the progress made since the training and how participants were using the knowledge gained.