A project to empower dozens of San people across Namibia has come to an end.
The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), in partnership with the European Union (EU), recently hosted its first five-day field-based paralegal training programme, which ended on Saturday.
The programme, involving the Vergenoeg communities, took place at Gobabis in the Omaheke region.
The LAC initiative is designed to enhance access to justice and promote legal capacity building within marginalised San communities.
It focuses particularly on community safety and legal empowerment.
The training, which took place between 19 to 23 November, saw a number of aspiring paralegals participate.
Magdalena Jacob, a member of the community police, says community safety is a shared responsibility, where both traditional practices and modern policing methods should work hand in hand.
“By coming together as a community, we can face challenges, prevent crime, and ensure peace for all,” she says.
EU programme manager Silke Höfs emphasises the pivotal role paralegals can play in bridging the gap between marginalised communities and formal justice systems.
“Trained paralegals serve as critical connectors between their communities and the formal justice system,” she says.
“They are advocates, educators, and facilitators, ensuring that justice is not just a principle, but something tangible and meaningful for the people they serve,” Höfs says.
Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate says paralegals play an essential role in promoting community safety and legal empowerment.
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