Cattle Country gets visit from US Ambassador Randy Berry
The US Ambassador to Namibia, HE Randy Berry last month made his first official visit to the ‘cattle country’, Gobabis.
“A place where I felt very much at home since I grew up on a cattle ranch in the American West,” is what Berry echoed when he made a courtesy call to Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate.
During the visit, the two discussed the regional governor’s plans for innovation, diversification, and development.
He met with staff from the Epako Clinic and learned about the various services available, including HIV testing and treatment, cervical cancer screenings, and COVID-19 vaccinations. He was also told how they ensure all patients receive the services they need.
The Embassy in a statement said that after the clinic visit, Berry met with a group of local youth leaders, most of whom had participated in US government-funded programmes and they took the opportunity to discuss the economic challenges and opportunities facing the youth of Omaheke as well as ways in which the Embassy could further engage with young people across the country.
The second day of the ambassador’s trip, took him close to the Botswana border to visit the rural community of Corridor 14. This community is a recipient of a US Embassy Ambassador’s Special Self-Help grant, which enabled them to purchase solar panels and lighting for their homes.
Without electricity the residents experienced loss of livestock to nocturnal predators for many years. Since installing the lights in November, they have not lost a single animal.
Berry said this project shows the power of communities in charting a better future for themselves and that solar lights provide more possibilities for economic growth in multiple ways.
“They make it possible for children to study after dark and they do all this with clean energy, which is good for the environment,” he added.
Before concluding his visit, the Ambassador visited a commercial farm to chat to a cattle farmer and discuss ways in which Namibia can increase exports of their premium redmeat products to the United States.
