We Are Too Few to be Poor — Demand a Universal Basic Income Grant for Namibia
The Issue
To: H.E. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and the Government of the Republic of Namibia
President Nandi-Ndaitwah has reminded us that "we are too few to be poor." We agree.
Namibia is a country blessed with extraordinary natural wealth and a small population. Yet, more than three decades after independence, too many Namibians still go to bed hungry, struggle to find work, and live without the basic income needed to survive with dignity.
If we are too few to be poor, then we must be too few to go hungry.
Too few to be homeless.
Too few to be unemployed.
Too few to be left out.
Behind every statistic is a Namibian family. Parents struggling to feed their children. Young people whose dreams are being put on hold. Families choosing between food, transport, school costs and electricity. People working hard but still unable to make ends meet.
THE REALITY IN NUMBERS
• Broader unemployment rate stands at 54.8%.
• 44.4% youth unemployment among Namibians aged 15–34, one of the highest and most severe youth jobless rates in the SADC.
• With a Gini coefficient of 59.1 (or 0.59) — Namibia is ranked the second most unequal country in the world by income distribution.
• More than 43.3% of the population in Namibia lives in multidimensional poverty.
• 1.5 million+ Namibians face challenges securing consistent, safe and healthy meals.
• 30% of Namibian children under five suffer chronic malnutrition and stunting.
• N$84 — the cost of a healthy diet, per person, per day. Yet the Conditional Basic Income Grant (CBIG) pays only roughly N$20 per household per day.
These are not just numbers. They are a moral indictment of inaction — and we are tired of struggling just to survive. Namibia's universal old-age pension, guaranteed to everyone aged 60 and above, has protected our elders for decades. We demand the same protection for every Namibian.
IN EVERY NAMIBIAN TONGUE, WE SAY THE SAME THING
Otwaloloka! · E //ui! · Shitwa Kangwi! · Tsau da go! · Ons is moeg! · Tuaurua! · Lukatezi! · Twaroroka!
"We are tired!" — in the languages of Namibia.
OUR DEMAND
We demand that Government meet its obligation under Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution by urgently implementing a Universal Basic Income Grant (BIG) of at least N$500 per person per month for Namibians aged 0–59.
BIG is not about giving people a handout. It is about giving people a chance. A basic income can help put food on the table, keep children in school, pay for transport, support livelihoods, and give unemployed young people the breathing space to look for work, develop skills, or create opportunities for themselves.
BIG will not replace jobs, public services, or economic development. It is a basic foundation from which people can survive, participate, and build. The 2008–2009 Otjivero–Omitara pilot already produced measurable reductions in hunger and child malnutrition. The model works. What is missing is the political will to scale it.
Our natural resources belong to Namibia. Our wealth must translate into well-being for all, not prosperity for only some. As President Nandi-Ndaitwah herself has said, "we are too few to be poor." Let us turn those words into action.
We are too few to be poor.
We are too few to be hungry.
We are too few to be left out.
We demand a BIG for Namibia.
#TooFewToBePoor #NoOneIsLeftOut #BIGforNamibia
ISSUED BY
The BIG Coalition of Namibia
Established 2004 · Churches, trade unions and civil society organisations
contact@bignam.org · www.bignam.org · +264 (0)81 561 5191
3,996
The Issue
To: H.E. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and the Government of the Republic of Namibia
President Nandi-Ndaitwah has reminded us that "we are too few to be poor." We agree.
Namibia is a country blessed with extraordinary natural wealth and a small population. Yet, more than three decades after independence, too many Namibians still go to bed hungry, struggle to find work, and live without the basic income needed to survive with dignity.
If we are too few to be poor, then we must be too few to go hungry.
Too few to be homeless.
Too few to be unemployed.
Too few to be left out.
Behind every statistic is a Namibian family. Parents struggling to feed their children. Young people whose dreams are being put on hold. Families choosing between food, transport, school costs and electricity. People working hard but still unable to make ends meet.
THE REALITY IN NUMBERS
• Broader unemployment rate stands at 54.8%.
• 44.4% youth unemployment among Namibians aged 15–34, one of the highest and most severe youth jobless rates in the SADC.
• With a Gini coefficient of 59.1 (or 0.59) — Namibia is ranked the second most unequal country in the world by income distribution.
• More than 43.3% of the population in Namibia lives in multidimensional poverty.
• 1.5 million+ Namibians face challenges securing consistent, safe and healthy meals.
• 30% of Namibian children under five suffer chronic malnutrition and stunting.
• N$84 — the cost of a healthy diet, per person, per day. Yet the Conditional Basic Income Grant (CBIG) pays only roughly N$20 per household per day.
These are not just numbers. They are a moral indictment of inaction — and we are tired of struggling just to survive. Namibia's universal old-age pension, guaranteed to everyone aged 60 and above, has protected our elders for decades. We demand the same protection for every Namibian.
IN EVERY NAMIBIAN TONGUE, WE SAY THE SAME THING
Otwaloloka! · E //ui! · Shitwa Kangwi! · Tsau da go! · Ons is moeg! · Tuaurua! · Lukatezi! · Twaroroka!
"We are tired!" — in the languages of Namibia.
OUR DEMAND
We demand that Government meet its obligation under Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution by urgently implementing a Universal Basic Income Grant (BIG) of at least N$500 per person per month for Namibians aged 0–59.
BIG is not about giving people a handout. It is about giving people a chance. A basic income can help put food on the table, keep children in school, pay for transport, support livelihoods, and give unemployed young people the breathing space to look for work, develop skills, or create opportunities for themselves.
BIG will not replace jobs, public services, or economic development. It is a basic foundation from which people can survive, participate, and build. The 2008–2009 Otjivero–Omitara pilot already produced measurable reductions in hunger and child malnutrition. The model works. What is missing is the political will to scale it.
Our natural resources belong to Namibia. Our wealth must translate into well-being for all, not prosperity for only some. As President Nandi-Ndaitwah herself has said, "we are too few to be poor." Let us turn those words into action.
We are too few to be poor.
We are too few to be hungry.
We are too few to be left out.
We demand a BIG for Namibia.
#TooFewToBePoor #NoOneIsLeftOut #BIGforNamibia
ISSUED BY
The BIG Coalition of Namibia
Established 2004 · Churches, trade unions and civil society organisations
contact@bignam.org · www.bignam.org · +264 (0)81 561 5191
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Petition created on 16 September 2020