Since 2018, FXB Switzerland, FXB France and their local partner HISA have been actively working for the sustainable development and improvement of the living conditions of the most vulnerable communities in Namibia.
Context
Namibia's per capita income is one of the most asymmetric in the world, with 55% of total income per 10% of total population. Socio-economic inequalities inherited from the apartheid years persist, with 30% of the young unemployed working population.
Furthermore, as in many countries, Namibia is struggling to respond to cases of violence against women and children because of the lack of trained workers, response strategies or inappropriate information on human rights in communities.
Our action in Namibia
1. Combating the multidimensional causes of poverty: 1 VillageFXB economic and community development project.
The VillageFXB model is implemented in the community of Kilimanjaro, close to Windhoek, where slum dwellers face complex challenges related to poverty and insecurity.
In 2025, 500 adults and children received declining support for three years: the time needed to move from extreme poverty to sustainable economic and social autonomy.
Families, after completing training in finance and project management, receive seed capital to create income-generating activities (microenterprises) and participate actively in Village Associations of Savings and Credit (AVEC). They also receive food aid at the beginning of the project, enabling them to regain a satisfactory health. This gives them the energy to invest fully in their economic activities, while their children can continue their education better.
Throughout the three years, comprehensive support is provided: support for schooling and vocational training for children and young people, access to adequate health care and improvement of housing conditions and health infrastructure. They also have the opportunity to acquire key health and social skills, thereby promoting their overall development and ensuring the sustainability of the project's impact on their quality of life.
FXB also integrates resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change into its activities, ensuring that these marginalized communities are prepared to respond to the environmental challenges that disproportionately affect them.
Equality between women and men is not only a fundamental human right, it is also a condition for a prosperous and sustainable world. Thus, special attention is paid to the economic empowerment of women and the promotion of their leadership.
Because women play a key role in the development of their communities, FXB sets up specific activities to strengthen their skills, promote their access to sustainable economic opportunities and enhance their role as actors of change, including by encouraging their active participation in decision-making within their families and communities. It also aims to raise community awareness of domestic and sexual violence and gender equality.
2. Stop gender-based violence
The fight against violence against women and children is hampered by various obstacles, such as a shortage of trained professionals, inadequate response strategies and a lack of information on human rights in communities. This problem is exacerbated in informal neighbourhoods (bidonvilles), where there is a lack of services for the protection of women and children and where access to appropriate assistance remains limited, thereby endangering these vulnerable populations.
For FXB, the first step was to strengthen systems for the protection and prevention of violence by promoting security, especially in the face of gender-based violence, promoting the empowerment of women and girls and providing support to victims of violence, including through the creation of safe spaces. An essential dimension was also to raise awareness and educate men and boys, involving them as defenders of the rights of women and girls and agents of change in their communities.
A new phase, which began in 2023, aims to strengthen the skills of civil society organisations and promote discussions on gender equality and youth inclusion in peri-urban areas in three regions of Namibia.
3.Vertical culture, experienced south of Windhoek with hydroponia
A vertical crop project was launched in a rural area south of Windhoek to address agricultural challenges in Namibia, an arid country with limited water resources.
This innovative solution is based on hydroponia, a technique for growing soilless plants, feeding them with nutrients dissolved in water. The project focuses on forage production, an essential resource for livestock production in an environment where natural pastures are insufficient.
Specially designed modules are installed in containers, providing a durable solution and accessible to vulnerable populations living in remote areas.
Our impact in Namibia
have already made the transition from an extremely precarious life to a more dignified existence through two VillageFXB projects. This change has a significant impact on the quality of life, income, education, health and social status of children and adults.
were created for victims of violence and the participation of men and boys, as well as the capacity of local communities and leaders to combat gender-based violence.
increased their knowledge of equality and prevention of gender-based violence.
Life course
An example of community resilience
Olivia, a 37-year-old dynamic entrepreneur and emblematic figure in the VillageFXB, is the first participant to invest the initial capital provided by the project to launch an economic activity in a training in the Development of Small Childhood.
Single mother of four children and guardian of two adult nieces, she is the financial pillar of her home. Thanks to her determination, she now juggles between her family life and her professional activities, running a nursery, running a shop and selling porridge with the help of a loyal friend. His income ensures the well-being of his great family.
When Olivia was selected to join a VillageFXB project, she still had the legacy of a difficult marriage contracted at only 15 years of age, suffering cultural pressure and stigmatization related to divorce. Despite these trials, she found the strength to rebuild herself and offer her children a more promising future.
FXB's support was crucial in his journey, enabling him to overcome his painful past and to emerge from extreme poverty. His history strongly embodies the resilience and power of self-determination to transform his life.