Allexer Namundjembo
Palms for Life (Namibia) is addressing food insecurity in marginalised communities by establishing vegetable gardens at six of its ten Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres serving San communities.
“These gardens are not just about food; they are a local solution to a local challenge. They help us feed the children while teaching communities about sustainable farming,” said a representative from Palms for Life.
Each morning, local support staff harvest available produce to prepare meals for the children.
The gardens supply vegetables such as green peppers, cabbages, watermelons, tomatoes, maize meal, beetroots, carrots, and spinach.
“These vegetables add great nutritional value to the meals we serve. We no longer rely only on food vouchers,” said a staff member from one of the centres.
The gardens support supplementary feeding for around 1,300 children aged 3 to 6.
In addition to the harvests, Palms for Life continues to supply food through a voucher system, with support from the Division of Marginalised Communities.
“Our role is not only to deliver food but also to empower communities to grow their own,” said the Division’s community coordinator.
The ECD centres also serve as community hubs, offering adult education programmes and agricultural training to local residents.
Recent harvests show positive outcomes. Farm Uitkoms produced watermelon, onions, and spinach.
Otjinene harvested carrots, beetroots, and cabbages. Ondera harvested maize meal and tomatoes. Likwaterera produced onions, spinach, and green peppers. Tsumkwe 1 harvested cabbages, spinach, and onions.
“These gardens do very well during the rainy season between November and March each year, and they contribute significantly to the nutritional value of meals served to the children,” said a garden coordinator in Tsumkwe.
The centres also provide structured meal plans that include breakfast and lunch, as well as child-friendly sanitation and handwashing facilities, digital learning tools, toys, and fully equipped classrooms.
While the gardens help meet immediate nutritional needs, broader systemic challenges remain.
Tsumkwe Constituency councillor Johannes Hausiku described the ongoing health and infrastructure struggles in his constituency during an interview last year for a local newspaper’s pre-election coverage.
He recalled the case of a man in Gam who was seriously injured after falling off a horse but was turned away at the clinic because the only ambulance had been sent away for modifications and never returned.
“People don’t understand how bad it is until they see it,” said Hausiku.
“We have vulnerable people here. Marginalised communities. They deserve the same care as everyone else.”
Hausiku said the constant pressure to respond to daily emergencies had affected his health. “I thought this was just a normal office job. But your phone rings anytime, even at night. People call you because they are hungry; there is no water, no food, and no ambulance to take them to the hospital. It all gets into you.”
In 2023, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure and is now on treatment. Despite the stress, he said he remains committed to his community.
He cited efforts to drill boreholes for five villages when rural water systems failed. “These people can’t pay for water,” he said. “They are marginalised. You can’t just close their taps.”
The vegetable garden initiative stands as one response to these challenges, offering locally driven support through food, learning, and community involvement.
