Namibia – The Assistant Minister for Urban Affairs at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Paulita Wie says the Weah-led government is making progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through road connectivity.
Madam Wei who heads a high-powered Liberian delegation to Namibia named the connection of roads linking the urban and rural areas of Liberia, infrastructure developments, improving the healthcare sector, giving quality education, provision of running water and electricity, voluntary relocation of guidelines for slum dwellers and the decentralization process as some of the advances made by the Liberian Government.
She spoke in Namibia on behalf of the Liberian Government at an event organized by the Namibian Government in collaboration with Slum Dwellers International in support of the slum communities.
“Liberia has made some progress in achieving the sustainable development goals through road connectivity leading to urban and rural areas in the country, infrastructure development, improving the health care sector, giving quality education, running water and electricity in some urban areas, empowering women, the establishment of the slum upgrading unit at the National Housing Authority, affordable housing for people with low income, voluntary relocation guidelines for slum dwellers, formation of slum upgrading policy, empowering the local Government and giving basic services to our people through the decentralization process,” she said.
Despite the progress, she noted that there are challenges in terms of funding’s, logistics and waste management; adding: that the “Government of President Weah is working to enhance and deliver on its promises.”
She added that although Liberia has not allocated funds for the support of the Federation of Liberia Urban Poor Savers (Slum dwellers), the Liberian delegation was in Namibia to learn from their exchange process to incorporate some of Namibians’ strategies in expanding the level of support to slum communities.
“Our President came from the Slum Community and he is doing everything possible to make it better. With your expertise and technical knowhow, we will move forward also,” she averred.
She thanked the President of Namibia, Dr. Haga G. Geingob and the First Lady Monica Geingob for the warm reception as well as the Slum Dwellers International (SDI) for the support in getting the Liberian delegation to Namibia and “the National Housing Action Group for being our Host.”
Meanwhile, a dispatch from Namibia quotes the country’s President Dr. Haga G. Geingob of recounting the historical tides between Liberia and his country and noted that Liberia helped Namibia in getting her Independence.
The Namibian leader expressed hope that the two countries can rekindle the friendship that once existed between them and expressed delight of the team headed by “a young Minister who was able to visit another country to understand, learn and interact with the people in the informal settlement.
First Lady Monica Geingob also lauded the Liberian delegation and expressed her willingness to work with local NGO and the Government of Liberia.
She further thanked SDI for the vision of helping the poor and noted that she was delighted to be a supporter of Namibia Housing Action Group.
Slum Dwellers International (SDI) is a network of community-based organizations of the urban poor in 33 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.