Ndasilohenda Katangolo-Nakashwa, a 37-year-old communal farmer from the Kunene Region’s Opuwo Rural Constituency, has won the 2023 Capricorn Foundation Food Waste Challenge.
She is the overall winner, receiving a N.dollars 100 000 cash prize from Capricorn Foundation, a N.dollars 50 000 brand package from Synergi, and six months of mentorship and coaching from Business Box Windhoek.
This announcement follows on the pitches made by the top five finalists on 22 June to a panel of judges.
Marlize Horn, Capricorn Foundation Executive Officer, stated during the ceremony on Thursday in Windhoek that Namibia suffers from severe hunger, ranking 78th out of 116 nations in the 2022 Global Hunger Index.
She said the Capricorn Foundation Food Waste Challenge was launched in April 2023 and called for innovative and sustainable solutions to create or expand self-sufficient social enterprises (businesses) to address the issue of food waste in Namibia and create employment for Namibians to combat these issues.
“The Capricorn Foundation remains committed to being a Connector of Positive Change and, apart from the winning solution and the many other innovative ideas that were submitted, the Food Waste Challenge provided a platform to create awareness of the issue of food waste and support social entrepreneurs in their potential to solve community-based problems and create jobs,” she said.
Katangolo-Nakashwa, the proprietor of Ndinandali Farm, stated that the farm’s goal is not only on profit but also on promoting food security and reaching the most vulnerable populations.
“The Capricorn Foundation Food Waste Challenge has been an amazing experience and I look forward to collaborating with the other finalists,” she said.
Ndinandali Farm, an agricultural venture dedicated to preserving nutritional value and extending the shelf life of fresh produce, has revolutionised marketing and distribution methods. Their dried vegetables, including spinach, tomato and cabbage, have become popular food staples in rural villages and towns.
Rikus Grobler, Capricorn Group’s Manager of Innovation and project coordinator of the challenge, expressed appreciation for the 152 submissions and encouraged their execution.
He praised the ideas focusing on sustainability, longer shelf life, nutritional preservation, and alternative protein sources for their potential to benefit Namibians. Grobler thanked participants and partners (Skild, Business Box, Namibia Media Holdings, Synergi and Gondwana Care Trust) and emphasised their contributions to the initiative’s success.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency