N?a Jaqna holds best AGM yet

ELLANIE SMITWINDHOEK The N?a Jaqna Conservancy recently held its most successful annual general meeting (AGM) to date in Mkata, situated in Tsumkwe West. The N?a Jaqna Conservancy is located in the Tsumkwe district, northeast of the Otjozondjupa Region. It is one of the only two San-governed conservancies in Namibia, the second being the Nyae Nyae Conservancy. The meeting was held with support from the European Union (EU) to improve governance and community participation, and the environment ministry to ensure that conservancy operations continue during these difficult times. According to a statement issued on behalf of the conservancy management committee, income has dwindled due to the coronavirus outbreak, as conservancies no longer receive income from trophy hunting or other tourism activities. The meeting complied with social distancing rules and EU branded masks and sustainably reusable bags were provided to all participants. Community consultation The meeting followed an EU-funded community consultation, collecting input and ideas on how to improve governance and participation. The results of the consultation were already put in place by extending the AGM to four days instead of the usual three, as the community felt there was often not enough time to voice their opinions, queries and concerns. The community also called for more project and food security support. This resulted in a session on starting a small-scale garden and, by distributing spades and seeds, each village was enabled and empowered to start their own food security initiative. These initial activities will be followed up later in the year with more equipment and seeds to villages, making the most of this support. Presentation, management training The conservancy management committee also received presentation and management skills training prior to the meeting and, as a result, it was deemed one of the best AGMs to date. “There was clearly a greater level of participation, adherence to the agenda and schedule and compliance with the ministry's regulations and the support received,” a statement on the meeting read.

N?a Jaqna holds best AGM yet

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-29

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N?a Jaqna holds best AGM yet

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-29

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