First Lady’s foundation splashes N$40m on Katutura centre

First Lady Monica Geingos’ One Economy Foundation is building a N$40-million centre at the government-owned Katutura Youth Complex in Windhoek.

The BeFree Centre of Excellence is being developed on a 5 000-square-metre site inside the youth complex next to the Katutura Football for Hope Centre, which Fifa donated to the government in 2010 for children with special needs.

Also housed in the complex are netball, basketball and football stadium facilities.

The construction of the BeFree Centre of Excellence started on 31 January 2021 and the first phase is earmarked for completion by 1 September at a cost of N$40 million.

Sport complex users, who spoke to The Namibian on condition of anonymity, said they were disappointed that N$40 million is being splashed on a centre that has nothing to do with sport activities.

One Economy Foundation said the building is a one-stop, multidimensional youth centre with quality sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence services all under one roof.

Others believe the youth complex is diverging from its mandate, as it is also currently dotted with tents that are housing the homeless and street kids after they were moved there during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister of sport, youth and national service Agnes Tjongarero admitted that the youth complex’s mandate is deviating, but said she was happy with the BeFree Centre of Excellence partnership.

SAFE SPACE

One Economy Foundation, however, said there is nothing sinister about a private organisation building an office in a complex used as a government outreach centre aimed at according Windhoek’s young people the necessary resources and services.

Instead, One Economy Foundation said it would retain a 30-year tenure of the building for project implementation, while the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service retains full ownership of the land on which the centre is being constructed.

“The project is funded through various fundraising activities, including the annual One Economy Foundation fundraising gala dinner event,” the foundation’s project manager Saddam Biwa told The Namibian this month.

He added that, “Additional funds are also received from private partnerships and donations, which provide funding for construction and programmes in key One Economy focus areas, which include entrepreneurship and enterprise development, education, gender-based violence and femicide, health and institutional and strategic support.”

Biwa said this is possible through the agreement signed between One Economy Foundation and the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service.

“The memorandum of understanding aims to collaborate on developing a multi-dimensional facility that seeks to close critical service-delivery gaps and provide a non-judgemental safe space for the youth to innovate, express and learn,” he said.

The facility will consist of three hubs – an adolescent-friendly health centre with an anti-violence component, a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem) centre and a skills centre.

The project seeks to provide unique health services, which cater for the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the youth. The health centre is grounded on three pillars – prevention, mental health and trauma management and clinical services.

Biwa said the innovation hub would also be an adaptable media centre and provide state-of-the-art equipment for the youth to navigate and leverage technology.

“Educational needs relating to assignment writing, homework and research will also be facilitated at scheduled times. A #BeFree Youth Radio channel and operated from this hub to provide wider access to #BeFree learning,” he said.

DISREPAIR

Last week, Tjongarero denied that the BeFree Centre of Excellence was approved because it is owned by the first lady.

“I am excited about the partnership. This is the type of support we need. Yes, through negotiations with the relevant ministries and signing of contracts also with the Office of the Auditor General, (people can build in the complex),” she said.

The BeFree Centre of Excellence building is close to the Katutura Football for Hope Centre for children with special needs, which is looking for sponsors to fund its activities and renovations.

Special Olympics Namibia manages the Katutura Football for Hope Centre. The national director of Special Olympics Namibia, Emilia Nzunzi, said they are sitting with quotations worth more than N$1,4 million for the improvement of the centre.

“We need N$1,4 million to revamp the artificial football court. We need N$30 000 to fix the lights at the football court and a further N$40 000 to fix the lights of the whole centre,” she said.

Nzunzi said they approached the One Economy Foundation to see if they can form a partnership, especially during the BeFree Centre of Excellence construction stage.