Windhoek: Members of the City of Windhoek council on Thursday conducted a series of site visits to international sister city partnership projects to evaluate their impact on local community development. The visits form part of ongoing efforts to highlight collaborative development initiatives and community-based projects implemented in partnerships with international sister cities.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the members visited several facilities, including the Nathaniel Maxuilili library and community centre in Babylon, the Jonas Haiduwa and Aam Bee Dee kindergartens in Okuryangava, and the Waste Buy Back Centre. These visits aimed to gauge the progress and sustainability of initiatives established through collaborative agreements with international partners.
Speaking during the tour, councillor Ignatius Semba emphasised that sister city agreements are more than mere paperwork, highlighting their influence on the livelihoods of residents. 'We went to really assess and see the actual work of these particular projects, instead of just sitting in our offices and being told that they are going well,' Semba stated, noting the importance of providing children in informal settlements with access to educational resources and libraries.
Semba applauded the Waste Buy Back Centre for providing an alternative source of income for destitute community members. The facility allows individuals to collect and trade recyclable waste materials for money, fostering self-sufficiency. The centre's site manager, Nenghama Sabas, noted that the centre has been vital in diverting over 500 tonnes of solid waste from the Kupferberg Landfill, which he said is a major win for the city as it is increasingly expensive to maintain landfills.
'The centre focuses on three primary targets - maintaining city cleanliness, reducing landfill costs, and promoting a circular economy for residents,' noted Sabas as he expanded that the centre is helping the capital maintain its reputation as the cleanest city in Africa. Sabas said the centre purchased waste worth approximately N.dollars 1.3 million from the community, while making nearly N.dollars 2 million in revenue since it started operations in 2024.
Semba further expressed a desire to expand such partnerships to include more local and regional partners within the SADC and African regions to address shared urban challenges.