Namibia Red Cross Society Highlights - 1992-2012

The Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) was established through an Act of Parliament, (Namibia Red Cross Act), Act No. 16 of 1991, following Namibia’s independence, as a voluntary aid, auxiliary to the public authorities. The NRCS was officially recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in March 1993, and admitted as a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in October the same year.

The National Society‘s mission is to alleviate human suffering.
Namibia Red Cross Society is very unique in the Namibian context because of its auxiliary status to the public authorities. NRCS auxiliary status to the government is a particular kind of partnership afforded to the National Society because it is part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This particular kind of partnership gives the opportunity to the Namibia Red Cross Society to consider any request by the government to carry out humanitarian activities within its mandate.

NRCS has been working alongside the government in meeting humanitarian needs both within Namibia and internationally, affording NRCS a unique position in the humanitarian sector and unique responsibilities. During the past years, NRCS’s relationship with the government has continued to grow from strength to strength. The Namibian government has been providing the National Society with technical and financial support since its establishment. NRCS has been working jointly with different government ministries and institutions including conducting trainings on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with parliamentarians, new police recruits and members of the Namibia Defence Force. In addition, NRCS runs a number of health related projects that aims to address poverty reduction, HIV and AIDS, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), TB and Malaria and many other related healthy challenges in an effort to supplement government in reducing/mitigating vulnerabilities.

Over the years, NRCS has secured great partnerships with other national societies such as Finnish, German, Canadian, American, Netherlands, Spanish, Swedish, Australia and Belgium Red Cross Societies, IFRC and ICRC with technical and financial support. The National Society is also supported by the European Union, Global Fund and UN agencies as well as various international funding agencies. The National Society is also in partnership with various local funders.

NRCS has offices in eight regions in the country but its services can be extended to all the country’s thirteen regions, in case of emergencies.
Public and private support from the Namibian community has been overwhelming as the Namibia Red Cross persists on maintaining trust and credibility in the society. The achievements over the years could not have been realised if it was not for NRCS stakeholders, donors and the Namibian community who have been contributing in various ways towards protecting human dignity by mobilising the power of the humanity.

The NRCS’s key programmes include the following:

Disaster Management – NRCS Disaster Management has been the most active programme in the past years in responding to floods and other emergencies. The Disaster Management allows NRCS to prepare, respond and reduce disaster risks. The Society has capacity to effectively respond to disasters.

Health & Care – NRCS implements community-based health programmes such as HIV/AIDS (prevention, Home Based Care and Orphans & Vulnerable Children), Water & Sanitation, First Aid, Community TB Care, and Malaria prevention.

 

Organisational Development (OD) – The OD component is aimed at strengthening the National Society to function effectively as a strong entity. The OD focuses on strengthening leadership and management, branch development, volunteer management and Red Cross youth development.  The department reached major milestones in terms of setting up the structures at branch levels as well as capacitating the leadership of the National Society at all levels. Its mandate and activities are to ensure that the regional branches are strengthened in promotion and operationalisation of the Principles & Values as well as to scale-up its services in more efficient and effective ways.

Humanitarian  Diplomacy – This is a multi-directional effort and tool to enhance and further develop the work of the National Societies to persuade decision makers and opinion leaders to act, at all times, in the interests of vulnerable people, and with full respect for fundamental humanitarian principles.

1992 - 1997

During this period a telex came through from ICRC on 31 March 1993, very satisfying for NRCS to be recognised after almost two years of intensive effort by the then Secretary-General, the late Bertha Ngavirue, and her staff. During Ngavirue’s tenure, NRCS was proud to take up a place as the 155th National Society and member of the Red Cross family.  In addition to some of Ngavirue’s outstanding work, she was presented with a citation for the valuable work she performed in cooperation with the Finnish Red Cross Society and the International League of Red Cross Societies by the then Finnish President Martti Ahtissari. In 1992, NRCS saw several visits from overseas colleagues including that of Dr Hakon Hellberg, the President of Finnish Red Cross who came to Namibia on a combined visit to consolidate the ties between the Red Cross in Finland and Namibia.

During this period the NRCS grew, as an independent National Society, from financial instability into a stable entity thanks to support from the Finnish, the Netherlands and Austrian Red Cross Societies, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Their combined support coupled with the NRCS’s own fledgling fund-raising and income generating activities sustained the NRCS’s work countrywide.
The generation of funds to support programme activities is an important role played by the NRCS. Fund-raising activities were stepped up during this period and a major dance was held at which popular South African musician, the late Miriam Makeba, performed. The event served to promote the NRCS and to showcase the Society to the business community.

It had earlier been recognised that staff changes were imperative to facilitate efficient operations of the NRCS. Hence, the management team was re-staffed with suitably qualified and experienced Development workers.

Health and Care

During this period the NRCS also participated in TB Awareness and World Aids Day programmes as part of its objective to promote health awareness in its branches.
The NRCS runs a number of day care centres throughout the country. This service was established in response to appeals from mothers who, as single parents, have to work outside their homes to provide for their families. The NRCS had thus offered a dynamic pre-school programme at affordable costs and children also receive meals at the centres.
Training on First Aid has been the Red Cross and Red Crescent’s oldest traditional programme, used to generate income for national societies. NRCS started offering trainings that went up to village level and training colleges, such as the then Ongwediva Training College. By enhancing and promoting First Aid courses, the NRCS responds to public demand and supports the Namibian government’s policy of health for all by 2030. NRCS teaches commercial first aid to miners, industry, mariners, tour guides, government institutions, scholars and the general public. NRCS also provides first aid training during important events such as trade fairs and during the national election time.

1998 – 1999

During the year 1999, the activities of the NRCS were focused on the four regions with the lowest level of human development – Ohangwena, Caprivi, Kavango and Kunene. The year 1998 saw the midway implementation of a three-year strategic plan, which saw a significant impact being made in alleviating poverty and hardship in the vulnerable communities.  To prepare for the coming 5 years, NRCS developed a five-year strategic plan to cover activities from 2001 to 2005.

Under the leadership of Mrs Razia Essack-Kauaria, the then Secretary General, the NRCS firmly laid the foundations for a strong and caring National Society. Despite the economic hardships faced by most NRCS volunteers, the volunteers continued to show dedication and commitment to humanity and caring in their various communities.

During this period the NRCS increased its financial accountability and improved its own revenue resources. The completion of a shopping centre in the vicinity of the Head Office secured a quarter of the NRCS’s own core costs.

Health and Care

This period saw the introduction of the Health Education Pilot project with the aim of strengthening the health knowledge of targeted beneficiaries. It focused on raising the communities’ awareness on unsafe health and hygienic practices through health education and motivating the community to take responsibility for their own health. This was made possible with the assistance of the International Federation regional office, in Harare by then.
During 1998, the NRCS started the implementation of the North Kunene Rehabilitation project that aimed at protecting water sources and improve health knowledge and hygiene practices of targeted beneficiaries. The beneficiaries of this project exceeded 7, 000.
Based on the seriousness of the AIDS epidemic in the country the NRCS felt there was a need for possible HIV/AIDS intervention in the Ohangwena and Caprivi regions. The intervention focused mainly on home based care for the terminally ill and also identified the need of support for AIDS orphans.
The Street Children project started in Rundu in October 1997 was aimed at rehabilitating street children in the Kavango Region. Street children visited the centre daily where they received two meals a day, had access to bathing facilities and also participated in sports activities. Some of the children were reintegrated into schools with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

2000 - 2009

Health and Care

Dramatic events in the early 2000s required new skills and approaches to be used, as major challenges affected the communities where the NRCS operates. Also, numerous assessments and support missions by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Cross Crescent Societies warranted restructuring of the way the NRCS did its business.
As the HIV/AIDS pandemic was taking its toll in Namibia, more people affected by the disease needed Home Based Care (HBC). As a result, the NRCS significantly scaled up its HIV and AIDS prevention and HBC activities with support from the International Federation. Access to information and condoms was critical to prevent new and further HIV infections. Creative programming in all corners of Namibia, using edutainment and multi-media approaches, saw the NRCS travelling the length and breadth of the country.

The National Society was able to reach many more people in the Caprivi, Khomas, Ohangwena and Otjozondjupa regions. The partnership between NRCS and World Food Programme saw over 37,000 OVC in Caprivi and Ohangwena region benefitting from food support and the majorities were registered on the OVC welfare grant of the Ministry of Gender and Child welfare.
In September 2003, the NRCS in partnership with the Social Marketing Association (SMA), now SFH, opened a New Start Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre in Katima Mulilo. The main purpose of the centre was to increase access to VCT services to the community. VCT serves as an entry point to HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as referrals for care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

In 2005 to 2009, the Red Cross and the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), with the support of Center for Disease Control (CDC), entered into partnership to train and deploy Community Counselors at all public health facilities. The project aimed at increasing access to VCT in all public health facilities and closer to people. Over 500 Community counselors were trained and deployed to health facilities countrywide representing the highest number of staff members of the National Society.

2010 - 2012

Health and Care

The NRCS introduced a new concept – “Task shifting”, which was introduced in the HBC programme to address the changing environment of HIV and AIDS programming. It focused on changing the roles of CBHC volunteers in the advent of ART, which has transformed focus to promoting adherence to treatment. Out of the HBC clients, only less than 10% were bedridden.
Under HIV/AIDS Home Based Care project, coverage of 31,966 clients accumulated over a period of 5 years with 673 new clients reached in 2010. These clients were beneficiaries of activities designed to; prevent further infections, expand care treatment and support and reducing of stigma and discrimination.
During the period, the NRCS continued to work towards alleviating the plight of OVC. The number of OVC in Namibia is increasing and it is projected that by 2021, Namibia will have approximately 250,000 orphans under the age of 15. The rights of these children to health, education, a caring family environment and full participation in society may be under threat
Through the community tuberculosis (TB) care project, NRCS continued to be involved in community awareness activities, mainly focused on adherence to treatment, prevention and referral for medical care. Altogether 900 clients went through the CB DOT programme.
During the period under review, under the leadership of the SG Dorkas Kapembe-Haiduwa, water supply and sanitation activities were being implemented in the Kunene and Ohangwena regions with funding from the European Union (EU), Belgian and Swedish Red Cross.

Disaster Management

The NRCS disaster management department responded to more floods and health emergencies during this period. Namibia again experienced floods and about 110,000 people were affected in Oshana, Kavango and Caprivi regions. A total of 23,782 people were relocated to reception centres with 8 deaths recorded in 2010.
Given the increase in emergencies, NRCS scaled up on preparedness and response interventions rated as a priority and continuous effort to build capacity and pre-position relief stocks. Staff, volunteers and communities are being empowered through community-based risk reduction interventions.
The NRCS’s Disaster Management Master Plan was reviewed and finalised during 2010. The reviewed Master Plan is aligned with the Government Master Plan on disasters. In collaboration with the Caprivi Regional Council, a village based disaster risk management committee was established at Lisikili area in Caprivi Region. These are coordination bodies aimed at smoothening the response by directing the early warming and early action community, the experience that will be replicated.
The National Society also conducted disaster management training (to develop contingency plans) for communities and government officials in the Kavango, Caprivi, and Omusati regions where 183 officials participated.
The NRCS’s goat and poultry projects supported four groups with 48 members under Long Term individual small stock goats and poultry project. Each member was given a goat and 2 chickens. In total 132 goats and 365 were distributed among support groups. Chickens and goats were procured and distributed to individual’s association members and over 200 OVCs living with HIV/AIDS at Kasheshe and Liselo also benefited from the poultry support in Caprivi Region.