‘Booze control’ programme goes to the south

An additional 169 Namibians underwent the DRINKiQ Training Programme by Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL)last week in the south of the country.

Employees from NAMDEB’s Elizabeth Bay Mine in Lüderitz, as well as members of the Lüderitz community were empowered with facts about alcohol and the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Since its inception in 2009, NBL’s DRINKiQ Training Programme has provided more than 4500 Namibians with a better understanding of the short- and long-term effects of alcohol abuse, which thus empowers them to make smart decisions when it comes to the use of alcohol.

O&L Group Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Coordinator, Venessa Mwiya said, “For the past three months we have trained approximately 600 Namibians under this powerful programme that has over the years enriched participants’ knowledge on the mental, psychological and physical risks involved when abusing alcohol, and provides them with the necessary IQ to understand the repercussions of alcohol abuse.”

Mwiya said that the DRINKiQ Programme is not only for employees of NBL or the O&L Group, but is open to the general public who wish to enrich their knowledge on the use of alcohol and how to consume it on a more responsible level.

The DRINKiQ Programme is part of NBL’s contribution to curb the excessive use of alcohol, addressing government’s concern of alcohol abuse.

“While this programme has more focus on internal stakeholders for 2017, we gladly take up opportunities externally, to invest in the future well-being of the Namibian society. With the daily repercussions of alcohol abuse seen in our society, the DRINKiQ Programme has the potential to be a powerful tool in the fight against alcohol abuse as it addresses the power of behavioral change. When we change our behavior towards alcohol and how we consume it, it is already a great start to curbing societal concerns,” she said.

According to Mwiya, within the O&L Group alone, the DRINKiQ Programme has so far in 2017 been conducted at Namibia Dairies’ headquarters in Windhoek; NBL headquarters in Windhoek; Strand Hotel Swakopmund; Hangana Seafood; Pick n Pay (PnP); NBL, and Namibia Dairies at the coast.