Windhoek Mayor Launches Backyard Gardening Drive to Tackle Food Insecurity

Windhoek Mayor Launches Backyard Gardening Drive to Tackle Food Insecurity. More than 1.3 million Namibians are currently classified as food insecure, with a significant number living in urban areas such as the capital. This was revealed by Windhoek Mayor, Councillor Ndeshihafela Larandja, during the launch of her Legacy Backyard Gardening Project at the Nathanael Maxuilili Community Centre in Babylon.

The initiative seeks to empower households with practical knowledge and skills to create and sustain backyard gardens, transforming underutilised spaces into productive food sources. Speaking at the launch, Mayor Larandja emphasised the City Council’s commitment to addressing urban food insecurity through innovative and sustainable solutions.

“I strongly believe that agriculture is one of the sectors with potential to reduce poverty, unemployment, and hunger, contribute positively to climate change, and gender equality,” she stated.

Windhoek, like many urban centres globally, continues to grapple with the dual pressures of rising food prices and limited access to fresh produce. The Mayor noted that these challenges place residents’ health and well-being at risk, underscoring the need for community-driven approaches to strengthen resilience.

As part of the project, participants will undergo training in sustainable farming methods, including composting for soil fertility, water-saving irrigation systems such as drip technology, and greywater reuse. Training sessions will target households, schools, vocational institutions, and community groups, with capacity building supported by institutions such as UNAM, NUST, and several NGOs.

The Nathanael Maxuilili Community Centre was chosen as the launch venue given its existing community garden, which already supplies produce to a local soup kitchen.

The programme has enrolled its first group of 50 participants, who began theoretical training at Katutura Community Hall today. Practical sessions are set to start tomorrow at the City’s Okukuna Farm in Goreangab.