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Rössing in Namibia

THE RÖSSING FOUNDATION: MEETING NEW CHALLENGES

Programmes to make the previous mining town of Arandis economically independent of the mine were initiated during 2005. An elected Town Council has managed Arandis since 1994. Since one-third of Rössing’s workforce live at Arandis, economically the town remains heavily dependent on the mine.

The Rössing Foundation continued to operate in the field of community development in the north-central regions of the country as well as in the Erongo Region, where the mine is situated. Most of the funds made available by the mine were applied to assist the Arandis community and the Arandis Town Council.

Supporting education

Although Namibia spends more than 25% of its national budget on education, the overall outcomes are still below the required levels to meet the demands of both the private and public sectors. As part of its overall contribution towards the education sector, the Rössing Foundation assists young students to complete their tertiary education. In 2005 a total of 38 Namibian students at local institutions received support through the Kolin Foundation Bursary Programme.

In further support of education in mathematics and science, the Rössing Foundation – in partnership with the Ministry of Education – manages a computer-assisted programme for these two subjects. Based in Khomasdal, the programme assisted more than 750 learners from local schools to improve their marks in their final three years of secondary education.

Community Learning Centre, Ondangwa

Broadening the horizons of all Namibians, particularly those that have previously had limited access to some areas of information and knowledge, has prompted a significant shift of development activities at the Ondangwa Centre.

Increasingly, the growth of information and communication technologies (ICTs) challenges the development sector to respond to new needs. With this in mind, the Rössing Foundation began implementing a significant shift of resources to the field of ICT.

This has translated into four new areas of operation: • Rössing Foundation has entered into a strategic partnership with SchoolNet Namibia to strengthen their capacity to roll out ICT solutions into schools in northern Namibia.

• The Centre has increased its capacity to deliver ICT training. Currently, three training facilities exist that offer end-user training on both proprietary (e.g. Microsoft) and open source (e.g. Linux) software.
• The library facility at the Centre has full Internet access and allows for research and related activities to complement the facilities already available.
• The Centre is also starting to investigate new opportunities available through the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) initiatives that promote sharing information and knowledge. In these initiatives, participants are not only consumers of knowledge, but can also potentially contribute towards a body of knowledge.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: At the Rössing Foundation’s Community Learning Centre in Ondangwa, students make use of computers to gain information and knowledge.

Building on this base, the Rössing Foundation will start making use of new technologies such as wireless connectivity. In addition, an e-Business Centre is planned for 2006. Coupled to these new developments is the continued work in language training as well as on vocational training programmes offered at the Centre.

Management of natural resources

Funding has been secured to further the initiatives of four registered conservancies
in northern Namibia. This technical support has focused on developing the capacity of local management committees to look after the conservancies’ interests and take advantage of opportunities for local investment. The Uukwaluudhi Conservancy, for example, has now finalised a joint venture with a local lodge operator and developments are expected to materialise in 2006.

One of the Namibian Government’s objectives is to promote the development of value-added activities in the production sector, and not to rely totally on exporting raw materials. With this in mind, the Rössing Foundation embarked on a programme of encouraging the processing of oil from the marula fruit, a product in great demand in the cosmetics industry. To add further value to the product, the Rössing Foundation in partnership with the Centre for Research Information Action in Africa (CRIAA) has started a process of obtaining organic certification for the product. This will increase the product’s value fourfold on the international market.

The process involves the registration of participating farmers and an extensive mapping of marula trees. Once the pilot project is completed in mid-2006, it is anticipated that the exercise will expand into other natural resources such as the melon seed and hoodia plants found in southern Namibia.

Small enterprise development

In partnership with the Omba Arts Trust and Mudhut Trading, the Rössing Foundation continues to support the growth of small enterprises in the craft and tourism sector. With a focus on the higher-end niche markets, the emphasis of support is on product design and quality development to ensure that production meets the demands of a discerning market. The highlight of 2005 was undoubtedly the opportunity to showcase a product range called Pearls of the Kalahari at the prestigious South African Fashion Week held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The items were manufactured by San producers and designed by an international designer, Mickael Kra, from the Ivory Coast.

In 2005, the Rössing Foundation once again completed a year of contributing towards the development goals of Namibia, in the process making a real impact on the lives of many Namibians.