Professional guides for heritage sites

Celebrating the funding agreement for tour guide training are from left to right: Jean Averia (NATH CEO), Axaro Thaniseb (NHC Vice Chairperson), Tuli Nghiyoonanye (MCA-N Education Director), Rev. Salomon April (NHC Director), Larry Laursen (NATH Board Secretary), and Martin Wilkinson (MCA-N Skills Development Manager)

As one of its last projects before wrapping up its activities later in 2014, the Millennium Challenge Account Namibia (MCA-N) signed a grant agreement with the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH) in Windhoek to train 20 tour guides of the National Heritage Council (NHC) to obtain their Level 3 National Guide qualification.

A similar agreement in April last year provided the training for the first 20 tour guides, taking the total number of trainees to 40.
NHC Director Reverend Salomon April called MCA-N a “true friend” and thanked the U.S. Government funded organisation for its continued support in elevating tour guides’ skills and knowledge in this crucial field, since many of them come from a poor background.
The training programme covers 61 days, after which the participants are assessed by the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) before receiving their certificates. 60% of the training costs to the value of N$1.8 million is funded by MCA-N, while the other 40% is covered by NHC. The tour guides will mainly work at the northern heritage sites at Twyfelfontein, Brandberg and the Petrified Forest.
MCA-N has channelled some N$3 billion into Namibia’s education, agriculture and tourism to reduce poverty through economic growth.