Masake encourages Ohangwena youth to transform water into income
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Ruthy Masake has urged young people in the Ohangwena Region to make productive use of the region's earth dams by developing gardens and increasing food production, rather than allowing the resources to go unused.
Speaking at the official opening of the Ohangwena Environmental Education Regional Conference 2026 in Eenhana on Thursday, Masake said she had observed many earth dams across the region but very few surrounding gardens.
“I encourage young people to seize every opportunity, particularly in agriculture, to generate income. Becoming a producer enables you to earn money instead of remaining at home waiting for opportunities that may never materialise,” she said.
Masake said her ministry is ready to support young people with viable agricultural initiatives and ideas.
“Other regions do not have the number of earth dams we have and wish they did. These dams were established to be utilised, and their water is well suited to agricultural production,” she said.
She also highlighted trade opportunities linked to Ohangwena's proximity to the Angolan border at Oshikango, saying local farmers could supply produce to both Namibian and Angolan markets.
“There is significant demand for agricultural products. Many young people do not realise the opportunities that exist within agriculture,” she said.
Water security and resilience
Masake stressed that water security is fundamental to development in the region.
She said the government continues to invest in pipelines, earth dams, boreholes and water infrastructure across the country, including in Ohangwena, but added that infrastructure alone is not enough.
She said the region's resilience to future droughts will depend on how effectively young people use available water through practices such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, solar-powered pumping and conservation agriculture.
Masake encouraged young entrepreneurs to use the National Youth Development Fund, which offers collateral-free loans at concessional interest rates between 2% and 4%.
She said the fund provides start-up finance ranging from N$60 000 to more than N$1 million for larger ventures, with repayment periods of up to five years and grace periods of up to 12 months.
Priority sectors include agriculture, agro-processing, horticulture, fodder production and climate-resilient enterprises.
‘Formalise structures’
She added that the Development Bank of Namibia finances larger projects, including irrigation infrastructure, agro-processing facilities and export-oriented businesses, while AgriBank also offers support to the agricultural sector. She encouraged youth cooperatives to formalise their structures so they can submit bankable proposals.
Meanwhile, entrepreneur and SOS Children's Villages representative Otto Kapuka questioned how accessible the Youth Development Fund is to young people. “If a degree holder struggles to access these funds, how can other youths in the region hope to succeed? We urgently need statistics and clear eligibility criteria for these funds,” he said.
Masake acknowledged the concern and committed to meeting with regional officials to improve awareness of available funding opportunities.
“Many young people are not adequately informed. I urge our officials to share this information so that these funds can be used effectively,” she said.
Also addressing the conference, Ester Magano Hango said the event was organised to give young people an opportunity to engage with relevant organisations and learn more about climate action and sustainable development.
About 200 young people are attending the conference, which ran until Saturday under the theme: Integrating Climate Action, Water Security, and Sustainable Agriculture for a Resilient Future.
