A N$70,000 donation from Swakop Uranium is set to support Ovahimba community women-owned businesses living at the foot of the Brandberg Mountain.

The contribution, raised through proceeds from the annual Husab Marathon, was handed over to the Erongo Governor's Office. It will support women- and youth-owned businesses across the region, while also addressing educational needs in the Ovahimba community near Uis.

Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses said N$15,000 of the donation will go towards helping Ovahimba families meet the educational needs of their children. 

The initiative is aimed at ensuring that children from the community are able to attend school with dignity and are not disadvantaged by their families' financial circumstances. 

The remaining N$55,000 will support women running various businesses.

Governor |Goagoses said 18 women have been identified as beneficiaries, including 11 who operate small businesses that are not yet formally registered.

She said their unregistered status made it difficult to provide them with larger amounts of funding. As a result, smaller amounts will be provided as start-up capital to help the women improve their operations, meet registration requirements and eventually formalise their businesses.

Women operating similar businesses have also been encouraged to form cooperatives, allowing them to pool resources, strengthen their operations and access larger opportunities.

Receiving the donation, Dr |Goagoses urged beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly and turn the support into sustainable businesses that can create opportunities for others and contribute to the regional economy.

"If you go with the N$2000 or N$1000 that that we are going to give you out of the N$70,000 if you go and play and do other things don't come back I am going to supervise I am going to make sure that this business that is coming today that has been assisted by our Namibian industry must grow you are going to be accountable you are not going to put peoples money for any other purpose so within the next two weeks especially the four young people make sure that you going and register and come back with the complied forms and then the governor will make a strong recommendation for you to access the National youth development fund."

Also speaking at the event, Swakop Uranium Executive Vice President Irvinne Simataa encouraged beneficiaries to look beyond their immediate business needs and consider agriculture ventures that can provide long-term income while contributing to food security.

Simataa said such projects could create sustainable businesses while supplying food to institutions, including schools across the region.

"It will be good if they can look at business, particularly in areas where we can meet the community halfway, because I know that the aspect of urban agriculture is one that the youth overlook; they always look for the topical businesses, but for Swakop Uranium, we are looking for the opportunity where we can look at bringing urban agriculture. I think Erongo has the opportunity."

The initiative is expected to provide more than financial assistance, with the aim of helping small businesses become sustainable sources of income and creating opportunities for communities facing economic challenges.