Oniipa partners with ELCIN

The Oniipa Town Council has signed an agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) to develop the town.Oniipa mayor Immanuel Kambonde said the ELCIN strategic partnership will tap into the church's rich history, networks and land assets to bring about development. ELCIN owns most of the town's prime land.Onandjokwe, the centre of attraction of Oniipa, was founded by Finnish missionaries in 1911. It became the Finnish stronghold in Namibia and later became ELCIN's head office. The church developed the area and obtained large tracts of land. When Oniipa was proclaimed a town in 2015, the church had developed infrastructure that includes the Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital.Kambonde said the town council will use ELCIN to lobby for support from the organisation's partners.“Onandjokwe is an open museum on its own and it attracts many tourists from around the world. The place has a rich history that Oniipa needs to benefit from. We are very happy that the church leadership has agreed to enter into this partnership agreement with us,” Kambonde said.The town's CEO, Junias Jacob, said the main aim of the partnership agreement is to make sure that the town council gains access to the land. “The purpose of this agreement is to formalise our relationship with the church. The church owns most of the prime land in town and for development purposes we need to join hands with them. This agreement also means that Oniipa Town Council will be able to acquire resources easily to develop the town by using the church's status,” Jacob said.Jacob said council will also use the church's credentials to negotiate with landowners in order to get land for development. The council is relying on the church to link them to organisations and towns in developed countries where they can get assistance for development.ELCIN's director of land and properties Reverend Wilhelm Hainane said the church supports development, adding it partnered with Oniipa to help it to accomplish its mission. “When missionaries came to Namibia they settled here. This agreement will cement the mission of the church and its missionaries. We are going to teach Oniipa's people how to live with other people and work together with them to build Namibia,” Hainane said.ILENI NANDJATO

Oniipa partners with ELCIN

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-18

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Oniipa partners with ELCIN

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-18

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