For Jessica Nokokure Kurth, the journey from Otjinene in the Omaheke Region to being crowned Miss Teen Namibia 2026 on Friday is more than just a pageant victory. 

It is a powerful opportunity to leverage her national platform to tackle critical social issues impacting local communities back home. 

Residents of Okorukurure Village in Otjinene are capitalising on abundant underground water to venture into crop production.

A farmer at Okorukurure village, Petoorua Mujoro, stressed the inhabitants came together 20 years ago and agreed that every household should own a garden for food security.

The Roads Authority's Namibia Traffic Information System (NaTIS) has made further progress in making government services more accessible to communities in the Omaheke Region.

NaTIS officially launched a learner's licence testing facility in Otjinene. 

Otjinene Councillor Eben-Ezer Kauapirura says the shortage of emergency vehicles in the region is impacting patients negatively, calling for urgent intervention.

Kauapirura said it has become difficult for one ambulance to serve the entire region.

Otjinene Constituency Councillor Eben-ezer Kauapirura has highlighted the need to create a better understanding of the living conditions, needs and challenges faced by people with disabilities.
  

Vice President Lucia Witbooi continued her official visit in the Omaheke Region, stopping at Drimiopsis and Otjinene, where she met with learners, community members and marginalised groups.

Otjinene resident Martha Tjo, a wheelchair user, is struggling to improve her livelihood and urgently needs proper housing that can accommodate her and her family.

Tjo (47) was born and raised in Otjinene, a place she has always called home despite the many hardships she faces.

An elderly resident in the Summerdown area of the Otjinene Constituency has stressed the need for those elected into power to consider the needs of the people who vote for them, especially the elderly, and to prioritise issues such as owning land.

A San family living in Otjinene says they continue to face underdevelopment and the harsh reality of poverty.

While they express gratitude for the government assistance they receive, they often find themselves with nothing to eat and unable to afford even their most basic needs.

Young people in Otjinene say voting in the upcoming Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections is crucial in ensuring the right leaders are chosen to address the challenges affecting the community.