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Namibia Project

This 75 member NutriBusiness cooperative, the Eyambulepo LyoMahangu Cooperative in Onelao, Namibia, was initiated in 2002 through a USAID-funded collaboration involving the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State University, the Small Business Development Center of the University of Namibia and Women’s Action for Development (a Namibian non-governmental organization). Click the following link for a copy of the final report: Healthy Harvest: Enhancing Educational and Economic Opportunities for Women Agriculturalists in Namibia.

The initial grant from the MGW Center enabled the cooperative, whose membership is primarily Oshivambo women farmers, to purchase materials to construct a building to house a hammer-mill for grinding the millet flour and cowpeas that are the basis for a nutritious porridge mix. The mix is purchased by Catholic AIDS Action and other charitable organizations for free distribution to households in the Oshakati area that are caring for HIV-positive individuals. A subsequent grant enabled the cooperative to add a building for packaging and storage of their product. The Healthy Harvest project addresses both Namibian and global priorities in the agriculture, health, education and economic development sectors with an emphasis on gender and sustainable rural livelihoods.

Assistance to the Eyambulepo LyoMahangu Cooperative supports the scientific and educational mission of the MGW Center and its vision to invest in the nutritional and educational development of economically under-served groups and is consistent with Dr. Whiting’s interest in improving the health and quality of life in traditional African communities.

To date, over $4,000.00 has been awarded to the Eyambulepo LyoMahangu Cooperative. No further direct assistance to the Cooperative is planned, however, the possibility of providing an outreach grant that would enable the Eyambulepo LyoMahangu members to work with Women’s Action for Development and the UNAM Small Business Development Center to establish additional NutriBusiness cooperatives in Northern Namibia will be considered.