To address food security in the region, the Oshana Regional Council produced six tonnes of mahangu and 310 kilograms of beans from its four crop fields in four constituencies, namely Okatjali, Uukwiyuushona, Ompundja and Uuvudhiya.

As the region strives to promote food security, the Oshana Regional Council, through its 2023 Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Namibia, established farm crop fields in the four constituencies.

Speaking during the Thanksgiving ceremony, the Governor of Oshana, Hofni Iipinge, stressed that the initiative was born from a shared understanding that the fight against hunger and poverty starts with one's ability to produce one's own food.

"Importantly, the produce from these fields is not for sale or profit; it is for people. It is for the most vulnerable members of our communities who do not benefit from the drought relief programme."

Iipinge added that this is a reminder that this Thanksgiving is not merely an agricultural celebration, but it is a call to compassion, solidarity and community building.

"As a region, we must continue to work toward the vision of ensuring that no family goes to bed hungry, no child misses school because of an empty stomach, and no elder suffers alone in silence."

He called on the region's inhabitants to look ahead towards the journey of complete food self-sufficiency that lies ahead.

"We must continue to invest in sustainable agriculture, embrace climate-smart farming techniques; and involve our youth in agricultural entrepreneurship so that we can secure a prosperous future for generations to come."

The beneficiaries expressed gratitude for what the council has done, adding that the food parcels will help them feed their families.

The parcels were handed over during the Oshana Regional Council's crop field harvest annual Thanksgiving ceremony, which was held at Engombe in the Uuvudhiya Constituency.