SIGNING OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MoU) BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT FUND OF NAMIBIA AND THE NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE (NYS)

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Windhoek, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 - The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) and The National Youth Service (NYS) in collaboration with the Implemtantion of the Namibia Integrated Landscape Approach of Enhance Livelihoods and Environmental Governance to Eradicate Poverty ( NILALEG) Project signed a memorandum of understanding for the project public works programme for landscape restoration today.

The NILALEG project with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), led by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), aims to support regional councils, constituencies and communities to implement an integrated landscape management approach in key agricultural and forest landscapes, and to reduce poverty through sustainable nature-based livelihood strategies, that also promote the protection of biodiversity, restoration of forests as carbon sinks, and contribute to avoiding, reducing, and reversing land degradation.

As the executing entity, the NYS under the encroacher bush control programme, will be responsible for piloting an ecologically sustainable methodology for bush control and aftercare on 3 (three) resettlement farm sites of 1,000 ha each in Otjozondjupa, with a well-managed and trained workforce through NYS; and construct and equip the pilot plant producing and selling graded charcoal, tar and biochar, and support with training, maintenance, marketing, and access. Approximately 6000 youth were trained through NYS programmes but only 30% received decent employment or have full time jobs. “ This Project comes in very handy, besides our mandate to just train, our ACT allows for the NYS to get into commercial activities to support our training programmes, capacititate our training facilities and pay living allowances when we have to deploy the youth to voluntary sites. So this project will address our challenges relating to youth unemployment among the trained youth at the national services” said the National Youth Service Commissioner, Dr. Felix Musukubili.

NILALEG will provide funding, make disbursements and provide other adminstative support the NYS. Speaking on behalf of the Environmental Commissioner, Mr. Timoteus Mufeti was the NILALEG Project Manager, Mr. Jonas Nghishidi. “ Two years ago we entered into a partnership wih the NYS to look at opportunities where the youth can be engaged, whereby one of those targets was coal production. We are glad that we are moving and making the strides we should and meeting the targets we set. This is our way of seeing how we can resolve some of challnegs faced by the youth” he said. He said this is without hestiration an opportunity where meaningful impact can be made.

The NILALEG project also further aims to reverse environmental degradation and maximize sustainable livelihoods based on nature through integrated management of Namibia’s rural landscapes. The project aims to reverse environmental degradation and maximize sustainable livelihoods based on nature through an integrated management of Namibia’s rural landscapes.

About EIF

The Environmental Investment Fund is Namibia’s own response to the growing global need for green financing. Established in terms of the Environmental Investment Fund Act, Act 13 of 2001 with a mandate to raise funding for investments into projects and programmes that promote sustainable development it is currently one of the fastest growing green and climate financing institutions in Africa. As part of its vision to be “a recognized leader in the development and application of innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainable development and ensuring inclusive development for all the people of Namibia.