OHAILOMBO: Hundreds of community members from Ohailombo and surrounding villages in the Oshikoto Region over the weekend joined Ohailombo headwoman, Dr Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun, in cultivating her fields in a gesture of gratitude for her assistance.

The roughly 350 residents offered their help through a ceremony called ‘Oshitemo’, which was used in the past by village headmen to unite communities. The word ‘Oshitemo’ is derived from the hoe Aawambo people use for weeding.

In return, the headwoman and business personality donated 150 bags of maize meal and 72 bottles of cooking oil to the community, many of whom were from the nearby villages of Ohailombo, Ohaiyanda, Okandjeke, Omawe, and Uulumbilo.

They were led by Ohaiyanda village’s headman, Johannes Shigwedha, who stated that they want to thank Namundjebo-Tilahun for the various ways in which she assisted them last year.

‘We do not know how to thank her, so we used the traditional way to show appreciation for giving us animal feed last year that led us
not to losing our animals to last year’s drought,’ said Shigwedha.

In her remarks, Namunjebo-Tilahun said people give to those who extend a helping hand and she wanted to thank them in return, hence the donation of food items.

Amidst the crowd was the governor of the Oshikoto Region, Penda Ya Ndakolo, who also acknowledged the gesture and thanked the community for coming to help her.

Namundjebo-Tilahun also encouraged the residents to work together and help each other so they can produce enough mahangu for their own consumption.

‘If we have needs, I want us to bring them here so we can figure out some solutions because we are one,’ she said.

Namundjebo-Tilahun last week also donated items worth N.dollars 100 000 to learners at Ponhofi Secondary School in the Ohangwena Region. These included school bags, bedding, mattresses, towels, and N.dollars 20 000 in cash.

She pledged to provide a scholarship to the best performing learner at the school.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency