Vegetable growing at steps in Namibia

At our project site Okakarara, in the neighboring village of Ongombombonde since 2014 there has been a vegetable-growing area of over 1.000 sq m. Mostly under shade nets, but also in the open, all sorts of things grow here: carrots, cabbage, beetroot and spinach. Peppers and chili are also among them, as are melons and onions. But chilies in particular thrive well here.

Meanwhile, the employees' wages in the vegetable garden are now financed by the sale of the vegetables – unlike at the beginning of the project.
The vegetables that are not sold are used by steps' own soup kitchen in Okakarara to prepare fresh meals for the children and young people.
Even after the wages have been paid, steps still retains a reserve to finance new seedlings, seeds, fertilizer and gardening materials.
The surplus from the harvest is sold to guest farms and the surrounding population.

Since 2019 trees have been grown in a new greenhouse, which are later intended to be sold. Organic cultivation is also planned.

Chilies grow well in Namibia – says chili fan Hendrik

Some employees come to Ongombombonde from villages far away, which makes additional living quarters necessary. We now want to build these using the materials from the former sewing room.