Erongo Fact Sheet 2014 Final

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT NAMIBIA FACT SHEET Erongo Region Poverty reduction through economic growth Foreword Abo...

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MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT NAMIBIA

FACT SHEET

Erongo Region Poverty reduction through economic growth

Foreword About MCA Namibia

The Government of the Republic of Namibia and the U.S. Government signed a grant funding agreement, the Millennium Challenge Account Namibia (MCA-N) Compact to the value of US$ 304.5 million (N$ 3 billion) on 28 July 2008. The five-year implementation period for projects in the education, agriculture and tourism sectors commenced on 16 September 2009 and will end on 15 September 2014. The Compact is funded by the United States Government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and aims to reduce poverty through economic growth in increasing the competence of the Namibian workforce, improving access to quality education as well as increasing productivity of agriculture and tourism enterprises in communal areas. MCA-N is the programme implementing unit under the National Planning Commission (NPC) and cooperates closely with Government beneficiary sector ministries and agencies, namely the Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), Ministry of Lands and Resettlement (MLR), Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and the Namibia Training Authority (NTA). MCA-N has adopted a results and business-oriented approach to successfully execute all project activities within the prescribed implementation period.

May 2014

Education Project

Improving the Quality of Education Textbooks

Objective: To improve the learner:textbook ratio and increase the efficiency in textbook procurement and delivery, thereby improving the potential for higher learner performance. Achievements: • In 2010, 49 schools in Erongo Region received 36,229 English, Mathematics and Science textbooks for grade 5-12 learners, another 4,635 books were delivered to 16 schools in 2012, while 11,514 textbooks were procured in 2014 for schools in the region to the combined value of approximately N$ 4 million. In total, Erongo Region schools received 52,378 textbooks. Schools that have not received books either have lower grades or did not order. • Other support provided by MCA-N under this Activity is a new cloud-based Management Information System (MIS) for Learning Support Material (LSM), including textbook provision. This MIS will significantly reduce the time between order and delivery of textbooks to schools. Every school in the country with electricity will be linked to the textbook procurement system. The LSM MIS was launched in March 2014. For Erongo Region learners, this means receiving books well in time and in sufficient quantity to aid their learning.

MCA-N procured textbooks for grade 5-12 learners nationwide.

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Education Project

Improving the Quality of Education Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Objective: To offer opportunities to teachers, teacher educators, education managers and inspectors, principals and subject advisors as well as HIV/AIDS coordinators to continuously upgrade their skills in order to improve overall quality of education. Achievements: • MCA Namibia supported the University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) in establishing a national Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Unit through a grant agreement valued at N$ 14.4 million. Simultaneously, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the joint coordination and future CPD financing was signed between the MoE and UNAM. • The system has been replicated with each region having a CPD Coordinating Committee composed of regional professionals from the teaching sector. These Committees coordinate regional staff development needs, annual plans of activities and supervise their implementation. Regional staff development activities are co-funded by the CPD Unit, UNAM and the Ministry of Education.

CPD Forum 2012 in Windhoek.

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Education Project

Improving the Quality of Education continued.... • Early training focused on textbook management and utilisation, school management and administration, preventative maintenance of education facilities as well as HIV/AIDS prevention and management among learners and teachers. • MCA-N consultants in collaboration with the CPD Unit have trained more than 300 Master Trainers who are training relevant education professionals (subject advisors, inspectors of education, teacher trainers, principals and teachers in specialised fields) in the region until June 2014. • 65 national trainers including Erongo participants being trained in instructional leadership towards improved school leadership and management. Erongo Region has a CPD Coordinating Committee and learners in the region will ultimately benefit from better skilled teachers, inspectors, principals and subject advisors who underwent the training.

Facilitators from HAMU (HIV and AIDS Management Unit) and RACE (Regional AIDS Committees for Education) in the Ministry of Education receiving HIV/AIDS management training provided by MCA-N.

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Brandberg Omatjete

Uis

Henties Bay

Erong Erong

Wlotzkasbaken

Arandis

Swakopmund

Mondesa Kuisebmond

Walvis Bay

MCA-N Intervention Area Erongo Region EDUCATION

Kalkveld

Quality of General Education 47 Schools

Otjozondjupa Otjozondjupa Textbooks Delivery None delivered Delivered

ete

Vocational and Skills Training COSDECs

Arts and Crafts Centre

TOURISM Marketing Namibia in Tourism Arid Eden Tourist Route

Omaruru

POVERTY RATE BY REGION (%) 5.1 - 10.5 10.6 - 21.5 21.6 - 32.0 32.1 - 42.5 42.6 - 53.5

Usakos

Karibib

rongo rongo

Khomas Khomas

40

20

0 Kilometers

Klein Aub

MAP PRODUCED BY: LIDWALA CONSULTING ENGINEERS MAP PREPARED BY: Katie Sassenberg UPDATED : 2014-04-15 FILE NAME: Intervention_map.mxd

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Education Project

Improving the Quality of Education Vocational Education and Skills Training Objective: To alleviate skills constraints to enterprise growth and productivity and help ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, school leavers and adult learners acquire competencies needed for gainful employment and income-earning opportunities. Achievements: • MCA-N successfully supported the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) in the creation and making operational the National Training Fund. The funds to be paid by employers to the NTA will benefit industry training and human resources development. The fund was launched in April 2014 and is expected to collect up to N$ 200 million during its first year. • MCA-N is in the process of constructing a 1,450 m2 Arts and Craft Centre at Swakopmund to the value of approximately N$ 23 million, due for completion by August 2014. Besides an area from which wares can be sold, the Arts and Craft Centre will offer an amphitheatre for cultural performances, conference, training and production facilities, a restaurant, a fine arts gallery and an information centre. • The centre will serve as a sales hub for arts and craft products from Community Skills Development Centres (COSDECs) countrywide and avail SME support as well as six incubator units. • A newly built Community Skills Development Centre (COSDEC) in Swakopmund will be equipped with modern tools and computers with internet facilities to primarily benefit the Erongo youth, grade 10 and 12 school leavers as well as other vocational education and skills development aspirants.

The new Community Skills Development Centre at Swakopmund.

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Education Project

Improving the Quality of Education continued.... • Both Arts & Craft Centre and the COSDEC will be managed by the Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF) with its headquarters in Swakopmund (Mahetago). • Training of 40 National Heritage Council (NHC) tour guides was co-funded through an MCA-N grant valued N$ 1.9 million. The graduates are now employed as tour guides at Twyfelfontein, Petrified Forest and Brandberg in the Erongo Region. • Together with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) grant agreements to the combined value of N$ 48 million were signed with 10 service providers to train more than 1,800 Namibians in high priority fields countrywide. • The Namibia Institute of Mining & Technology (NIMT) with its headquarters in Arandis is a beneficiary of this grant and has signed an agreement with the NTA to the value of N$ 6.36 million for training and a further N$ 4.85 million capacity building grant for tools and equipment to expand their course offering. • NIMT will train 90 trainees in the areas of Electrical Engineering, Turning and Fitting and Instrumentation and Control at three national campuses. The Arandis NIMT is training the 35 Electrical Engineering trainees. Young people in Erongo Region now benefit from a more conducive vocational training policy environment and have improved access to facilities in which to obtain vocational and entrepreneurial skills that are needed in the Namibian economy, thus making them more employable.

The White Lady at Brandberg. All tour guide graduates are now employed with NHC.

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Tourism Project

Growing the Tourism Industry Marketing of Namibia in Tourism Objective: To increase international awareness of Namibia as a premier destination for tourists, translating in increased tourist numbers and growth of the Namibian tourism sector with all its accompanying benefits such as increased employment. Achievements: • Marketing efforts through the Namibian Tourism Board (NTB) improved through training and the development of a new interactive website for NTB, which received numerous awards. • NTB also received two vehicles, computers, laptops, a printer and a projector. • As part of the media campaign under MCA-N’s North American Destination Marketing Campaign, journalists from North America were sourced to visit Namibia and write stories that appeared in high profile, widely read publications. • MCA-N rendered support to Team Destination Namibia during the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) preparation under the theme, “A Summit Never to Be Forgotten.” The Summit proved to be a resounding success, with Erongo Region well-featured as Swakopmund was one of the two cities where related events were hosted. • In August 2013, a very successful “GoBiGNamibia” online campaign was implemented through international bloggers and well-known Namibian artist Ees told the Namibian story through their blogs, lenses and experiences. The campaign was initiated to position Namibia as an adventure destination ahead of the ATWS and generated a wealth of new photographs and written content for the NTB. These efforts will attract more visitors to Namibia, reaping economic benefits that extend to Erongo Region.

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Tourism Project

Growing the Tourism Industry Development & Marketing of Local and Regional Tourism Routes Objective: To diversify tourism products in Namibia, specifically by directing tourists to undiscovered rural areas. Achievements: • MCA-N supported the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) in developing 3 new domestic travel routes named Arid Eden, Four Rivers and Omulunga Palm. • Erongo Region will be marketed under the Arid Eden route. These tourism routes will provide compelling reasons for tourists to get off the beaten track, further unlocking opportunities for tourism enterprises, including those located in the Erongo Region through which the Arid Eden Route runs.

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MCA NAMIBIA PUBLIC OUTREACH TEL. 061-410400/418/454 FAX. 061-410415 [email protected] http://www.mcanamibia.org