Taking a
classic English tale and turning it into a Namibianised play for a local
audience produced a work of art where the suffering of street children is the
core theme. Olivia Toyeta, the name of the play that is based on Charles
Dickens’ famous Oliver Twist was performed this week in the National Theatre in
Windhoek targeting a young [...]

African ministers and senior
government officials in the areas of mines, minerals and energy held a one-day
workshop last week which focussed on communicating the essential role diamonds
play in the development of Africa. During the workshop, facilitated by the De
Beers Group, ministers discussed the benefits of diamonds to their national
economies and the urgent need to tell the [...]

Land identified for hospice for destitute and terminally
ill Pastor Marietjie de Klerk’s dream of giving shelter to destitute and
terminally ill women and children is about to become a reality. A piece of land
has been identified in Katutura’s Goreagab suburb where Hope Village will be
constructed. According to Janine van der Merwe, the project’s Marketing and
Administration Consultant, [...]

The Polytechnic of
Namibia, through its outreach programme, organised an early Christmas party for
the Loaf of Fishes Ministry Street People from the St George’s Anglican
Cathedral this week. This outreach programme is an annual event initiated by the
Office of the Dean of Students of the Polytechnic in conjunction with students,
where they organise an event for a specific [...]

With the
Christmas season just around the corner, providing some good cheer for the needy
is becoming more necessary than ever. In response to the necessity of assisting
the needy, –Protea Fürstenhof Hotel has joined hands with the Hochland Round
Table in a feeding project focusing on the elderly. Initiated by the hotel’s GM
Frans van der Bijl, together with [...]

The
Bicycling Empowerment Network Namibia (BEN Namibia) said this week that it
delivered bicycles for 85 home-based care volunteers in the north of the
country. The bicycles were funded by a group of school kids from Wesley College
in Clunes, Australia. Besides the delivery of bicycles, BEN Namibia focuses on
building the capacity of communities that it works with to [...]

In her late 30s,
Karin Sheetekala is a Namibian television celebrity. She is an attractive woman
with a slender physique whose faced is beamed across Namibia in a short TV film
by the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). She speaks in her vernacular
Oshiwambo language with English subtitles. But this is not some famous TV
commercials or a popular TV sitcoms. [...]

The Venancius Rukero Aids Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Foundation (VRAOVCF) is organising the 2006 HIV/AIDS Hero Awards ceremony that
will take place on 24 November at Safari Hotel to raise funds for the
organisation. The organisation was established by former street kid, Venancius
Rukero, with the mission of protecting, empowering and assisting AIDS orphans
and vulnerable children. VRAOVCF provides basic [...]

The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) said this week that Namibia’s medium economic
outlook remains promising as long as it sustains prudent macroeconomic policies
and tackles a number of challenges including high unemployment (37%), widespread
poverty and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Johannes Mueller, advisor in the
African department, told a press conference in Windhoek that the IMF economic
assessment projects real [...]

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has welcomed the announcement by the US government that it will contribute US$ 724 million for 2007.
The renewed commitment is the highest donation ever made by the US to the Global Fund since its inception five years ago. It is also a challenge for others to [...]