Livestock cycle empowers communities
Hope Farm Project: Building Socio-Economic Resilience Through a Sustainable Livestock Value Chain
Mining is often described as an exploitative industry, one that extracts value and moves on. Swakop Uranium is responding with a practical, long-term model that communities can see, measure, and sustain. Through the Swakop Uranium Foundation, the Hope Farm Project is designed to strengthen rural livelihoods by donating productive assets, improving farming skills, and creating a revolving livestock system that supports ongoing income generation. This is how we demonstrate, in real terms, that we are "More Than Mining".
Why this matters
Namibia’s socio-economic pressures remain significant, and they are being intensified by a drought-driven humanitarian strain that is hitting rural households first and hardest. Namibia is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in over 100 years, which began in 2023. The 2024–2025 period has been marked by low rainfall and high temperatures, leading to water scarcity, livestock losses, and reduced agricultural yields. It was reported that around 1.3 million people were affected by food insecurity by March 2025. In a country where many rural households depend on agriculture for daily survival and participation in the economy, and where unemployment was reported at 36.9% in 2023, these shocks place additional pressure on already vulnerable communities. This is the context in which Hope Farm matters; it supports communities with a practical, asset-based livestock model that strengthens resilience and builds a structured pathway to sustainable income generation.
Putting demographics and socio-economic data at the centre of sustainability
For Hope Farm, sustainability is treated as something that must be measured and managed, not just stated. The project is aligned with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals); its credibility comes from evidence-led implementation, clear reporting, and a design that can scale over time.
This approach also supports Namibia’s NDP6 priorities under Pillar 1 (Economic Growth, Transformation, and Resilience) and Pillar 2 (Human Development and Community Resilience), strengthening livelihoods while building resilience to climate pressures such as drought.
In practice, this means building a baseline profile of each participating cooperative and household, using structured screening criteria such as income level and basic farming knowledge, then tracking progress through follow-up reporting during and after the 18-month cycle. The project monitors demographic and socio-economic factors such as gender participation, household context, education exposure, livelihood patterns, and income proxies, alongside practical performance indicators like training uptake, animal health outcomes, herd growth, breeding ratios, and the revolving return mechanism.
This approach supports smarter targeting—for example, prioritising low-income farmers, strengthening women’s participation where possible, and tailoring veterinary and husbandry support to the realities of specific groups—while the reporting method ensures transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement as the programme expands from Erongo to all regions over the 10-year plan.
At the launch, Erongo Region Governor Nathalia |Goagoses said the Hope Farm Project is a timely intervention for underserved farming communities following a prolonged period of drought. She said she urged beneficiaries to honour their commitment to the revolving model by returning the prescribed number of animals as per the revolving agreement, ensuring the cycle continues to reach more households. She also said she thanked Swakop Uranium for establishing the Foundation and reaffirmed the Erongo Regional Council’s commitment to support the initiative through community outreach, technical support, and local monitoring throughout the life of the project.
A structured model with lasting benefits
Launched on 26 July 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR), the Hope Farm Project began with Phase 1: the donation of 630 goats and sheep to 30 beneficiaries across three cooperatives: Omkhaibasen farmers, Okongava/Ondjeombaranga, and Nedeurura. Phase 2 expanded the footprint through the procurement and handover of 378 small ruminants to 18 beneficiaries, with an allocation of 21 animals per beneficiary (20 females and 1 male), supported by structured training and follow-up. Together, Phases 1 and 2 delivered a total of 1,008 animals to 48 beneficiaries in the first year, at an overall cost of N$3 million.
Each beneficiary commits to a revolving agreement for 18 months, after which they return ten ewes and one ram. The returned ewes are donated to the next beneficiary under the same agreement, ensuring the model multiplies its reach while original farmers retain a productive base to grow herds and strengthen household income. The first cohort alone is designed to return at least 330 breeding animals into the cycle after 18 months.
Delivery has been built around local value creation and strong partnerships. Livestock were purchased from various farmers, mainly in the Erongo Region, as well as the Kunene and Otjozondjupa Regions, helping suppliers generate income while supporting access to suitable breeding stock. MAFWLR provided critical implementation support by helping to identify beneficiaries, source suppliers, support animal health preparations, and facilitate the handover process; officials also led capacity-building sessions focused on small stock production, nutrition, breeding, and animal health.
We are proud to close off Year 1 with strong progress, even though some losses were experienced during the year. To reduce preventable losses and strengthen the on-farm response, animal health support was intensified, including close monitoring after transport and practical interventions where needed. Beneficiaries also received livestock care kits containing wound spray, an injection syringe, injection needles, an antibiotic (Terramycin LA), a parasite control remedy (Dectomax), and activated charcoal, equipping farmers to act quickly when animals show signs of injury or illness.
To strengthen technical support at the farm level, two graduates, Brantan Shipo and August Ekandjo—both holding BSc in Agriculture (Animal Science) Honours—have joined the programme to support guided husbandry implementation and early animal health interventions. Brantan Shipo said, “What stands out for me is how quickly farmers respond when support is practical and consistent. When we focus on disease prevention and control, parasite control, and overall flock productivity, we protect the flock and the household income behind it.” August Ekandjo said that “Hope Farm is not only about receiving animals; it’s about learning to manage them well. Seeing beneficiaries apply the health and handling practices, and watching the herds stabilise, shows what sustainable support looks like.”
