Ambassador Berry visits Tsumkwe
US Ambassador to Namibia, Randy Berry, earlier this month undertook a visit to Tsumkwe, engaging with diverse groups including community leaders, students, conservation stakeholders, and healthcare providers. Over two days, Ambassador Berry undertook a range of impactful activities.He visited the Mangetti Dune Health Centre, meeting the nurse-in-charge and a tuberculosis (TB) field promoter. This provided a first-hand grasp of HIV/TB services, supported by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in partnership with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PEPFAR collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, enhancing comprehensive care for HIV and TB patients at the health centre.
During this visit, the nurse highlighted community challenges like substantial distances to healthcare facilities and transportation obstacles.
Next, Ambassador Berry engaged with grade 11 students at Tsumkwe Secondary School. He detailed the US Embassy's role in enhancing bilateral relations, fostering free trade, promoting investment for an inclusive economy, nurturing democracy, and advancing health and education. He underscored embassy opportunities and encouraged academic excellence.
Continuing his itinerary, Ambassador Berry paid a courtesy call to Chief Tsamkxao ‡Oma Bobo of the Ju’/hoansi Traditional Authority. They discussed the community's dual challenges of extreme poverty and limited education. Berry expressed willingness to attract US investment, stimulating broad-based economic growth for the community and Namibia at large.
He then visited the Tsumkwe Clinic Integrated Food Systems Project, funded by the World Food Program (WFP). This project aims to establish a community-centred food system around the clinic, empowering small-scale agriculture for better nutrition and economic prospects.
Ambassador Berry observed economic and community development efforts in nearby villages around Tsumkwe. Resourceful farmers cultivated and sold higher-value crops like papaya and processed devil’s claw, supported by the Nyae Nyae Development Foundation Namibia (NNDFN), enhancing economic and social conditions in the region.
The day concluded with a meeting with the Nyae Nyae Conservancy and Community Forest (NNCCF), managing natural resources in the Nyae Nyae area. They discussed how conservancy activities contributed crucial income to the constituency through conservation, tourism, crafts, and agriculture, primarily from devil's claw.
Despite conservation's role as an economic catalyst, Ambassador Berry acknowledged enduring economic and social challenges due to the area's remote location and arid climate.
Reflecting on the journey, Ambassador Berry stressed valuable insights gained into the realities of life in a remote corner of Namibia, rich in natural and cultural heritage. Information from the trip will guide US initiatives to effectively address genuine on-ground needs.