Latest Programme Updates

Almost 50% of Namibia's urban residents live in informal settlements, and the number is growing every year.

Four MoUs were signed between January and June 2023: Rundu, Gibeon, Eehnana and Rehoboth, and a fifth one is being prepared with Ondangwa. The programme now includes 15 partner towns.

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The safe management of sewage and solid waste is a significant challenge in Namibia's informal settlements. The first half of 2023 has seen significant developments within our programme, with local authorities adopting the methodology, and new blocks becoming open defecation free (ODF).

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A child's brain develops more rapidly from the ages of 0-5 than at any other time, and their parents or primary caregivers are their first and most important teachers. In 2023 our Play for All ECD programme has trained 240 teachers, supported 282 centres, and distributed 4,433 storybooks.

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The Programme for the Provision of Low-cost Land for Housing supports local authorities by providing partially serviced and affordable residential land, offering an alternative to informal housing. It allows low-income earners to own a property with title, where they can invest incrementally and pass on wealth to the next generation.

By the end of 2022, the programme was operating in 10 towns and developing 17 new residential neighbourhoods with more than 4,000 plots.

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The sanitation programme is implemented by Development Workshop Namibia (DWN), in partnership with the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE) and UNICEF.

It uses an approach called Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). CLTS is an internationally acclaimed methodology to improve sanitation in poor communities. It is fully endorsed by the Namibian Government and promoted through the Harambee Prosperity Plan II.

The programme has been implemented in the informal settlements of 9 towns.

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DWN's Play for All programme, supports ECD centres (kindergartens) and families in Namibia with an objective to provide opportunities for every child to have the right start in life. We focus on impacts with low overheads and high efficiency. Our work is systematic and in close collaboration with relevant government ministries and private sector partners.

The programme is currently active in six towns across Namibia: Windhoek, Karibib, Omaruru, Katima Mulilo, Oshakati and Opuwo. It is benefiting over 250 ECD centres in informal settlements (slums), with some 8,676 children.

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