12.11.2010

"BIG's success calls European development policy into question"

The sucess of the pilot project of the Basic Income Grant calls the Western development policy into question, Bischop Dr Zephania Kameeta from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia said. Kameeta spoke at a panel in Bielefeld-Bethel during the centennial celebrations of the Bethel Mission House. "You cannot develop people. People develop themselves."

Pilot project in Otjivero

In January 2008 a pilot project startet in the small village of Otjivero - with the help of UEm and some of its member chruches like the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland and the Evangelical Church of Westphalia. Every child, man or woman in the village gets 100 Namibian dollars a month. The success is visible: Malnutrition, the unemployment rate and criminality has been reduced, school attendance has risen from 40 to 90 per cent. Small Bakeries and other handicraft businesses have been established. It's still unclear if the Namibian goverment is willing to implement the BIG. But Bischop Kameeta will keep on fighting for its implementation, he said. A meeting of the BIG coalition is planned to be held at the end of November.