Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698147272800.pdf (Namibia)
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA MINISTRY OF POVERTY ERADICATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE (061) 4355005/6 Tel.

: Fax: (061) 435 5001 3RD Floor, Mutual Platz Post Street Mall Private Bag 13395 Windhoek 16 June 2016 SUBJECT: ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS BY HON VIPUAKUJE MUHARUKUA I would like to sincerely thank Hon.

Vipuakuje Muharukua the questions, which I hope were asked in a true spirit of gaining information, but not to discredit the Ministry.

for Question 1: With Specific reference to food provision: 1.1.
How many single mother headed families and households have been directly fed through initiatives of your Ministry?

1.2.

How many orphans have been direct beneficiaries through your initiatives?

Answer to the two questions above: The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is mandated with the maintenance of the welfare of children in Namibia, regardless of whether the child is from a single mother headed family or otherwise.
the Ministry provides social grants to the tune of N$350 In this regard, and Vulnerable Children.

The current beneficiaries of towards Orphans this grant stands at 202, 718 children, with an additional 700 children placed under Residential Child Care Facilities.

The majority of these children are from single mother headed households.
All official correspondence must be addressed to the Permanent Secretary I would also like to take this opportunity to inform this august House that the Government of its social welfare grants, and the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare has been tasked to carry out a feasibility study on the possible consolidation of these social grants, under the Harambee Prosperity Plan.

is cognizant of the fragmentation 1.3.


How many impoverished disabled members of our society have been directly fed through any of your initiatives?

and Social Welfare is not only The Ministry of Poverty Eradication about the distribution of food, but the food bank initiative is one of the many strategies of the Ministry aimed at ending hunger and poverty in Namibia.
The Ministry is responsible for the payment of a universal social grant to people who have reached the age of 60 (pensioners) and people living with disabilities age 17 and above.

People living with disability under the age of 17 are provided for under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare grant system.

to people living with disability currently stands at N$IIOO.OO The grant and will increase with N$IOO.OOper year during the MTEF period.
I shared this information with members of this august House during my budget motivation speech.

The number of beneficiaries this grant increased from 32,482 to 34,936 during the last financial year (2015116), due to deliberate efforts by the Ministry to ensure increased coverage.

under Question 2: Since the establishment of this Ministry, more than a year ago, how much money has your Ministry spent thus far on directly feeding al or either of these groups?
the Government As alluded to earlier, vulnerable Poverty Eradication Namibian Dollars for the provision and administration and disability grants during the last financial year.

is providing for the poor and through the various social grant systems.

The Ministry of spent over Two Billion of the pension and Social Welfare financial year, a total amount of Two Billion Seven For the current and Thirty Thousand Hundred Namibian Dollars (N$2,701,530,000.00) has been allocated for the said grants.
and One Million, Five Hundred tasked with ending poverty hunger mainly in The Ministry is further urban and peri-urban areas, through the establishment of Food Banks.

The first ever Namibian Food Bank will be launched at the end of this month as a pilot in the Khomas region, heralding the distribution of mainly dry food to eligible beneficiaries.
The food bank programme food provision initiatives of the Government such as those under Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Agriculuture, Water Forestry and the Ministry of Basic Education.

the Ministry will supplement other the and under Question 3: Which regions have been the top three recipients of your initiatives to feed the vulnerable groups of our society?
The vulnerable groups being referred to here are being provided for through one of the many social welfare grant systems of Government as in the lives of stated earlier.

The impact of social welfare grants beneficiaries feeding cannot be over-emphasized social grants non-contributory them.

Furthermore, do not discriminate for example the pension and disability grants are universal.
the Government's between regions, and go beyond just The Ministry is represented in all fourteen regions of the country and has a regional staff complement of 91 staff members.

Furthermore, ten new offices have been identified and will be commissioned this financial (Tsumkwe, Maltahohe, Dordabis, Groot- year in the following areas: Aub, Epukiro, Otjinene, Tallismanus, Okanguati, and Kamanjab).

Sesfontein, I have attached disability grants per region.
a table showing the coverage of the pension and In conclusion, I urge once again members of this august House to pay us a visit at see what we are doing and join the war against poverty together with the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, without further delay.
the Ministry, Total number of recipients Old Age Disability Grant Regions Erongo Hardap Karas Kavango Khomas Kunene Ohangwena Omaheke Omusati Oshana Oshikoto Otjozondjupa Zambezi Regions Erongo Hardap Karas Kavango Khomas Kunene Ohangwena Omaheke Omusati Oshana Oshikoto Otjozondjupa Zambezi Old Age Pension Disability Grant 1919