Windhoek — The final 20 students from a group of 60 received their certificates last week for successfully completing a training course on the use of alternative energy to help rural communities create conditions for sustainable living.

The training forms part of a series on initiatives where rural communities are made familiar with simple and cheap technology to harvest the energy from the sun in direct applications such as cooking and the heating of water.

WAD executive director, Veronica de Klerk said at the ceremony "WAD's business is about developing and uplifting women, men and young people, to escape poverty, and to improve their living standards. We wish to be even more involved in this type of preparatory work for the future life of young people which is being done here at the NaDEET Centre."

NaDEET is an NGO funded from the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility.

NaDEET's director, Victoria Keding, is responsible for the successful implementation of the training programmes.

Describing the work of NaDEET as pioneering, de Klerk said:" If the training and sensitisation which are being offered here, is amplified by a thousand times, on a continuous basis, Namibia will soon lay down exemplary standards to slow down climate change, for the rest of the world to follow. I therefore, express the hope that NaDEET will consider expanding its wings to all 13 regions of the country, to make this dream a reality."

De Klerk said during the training [the students] acquired skills in sustainable living practices, while gaining extensive experience in solar cooking, which entailed the construction of solar ovens and fuel-efficient stoves; the assembly of solar cookers; making of recycled paper fire bricks; as well as environmental auditing, including energy, water and waste.

As part of the course, students are also encouraged to lead a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle to implement sustainable living in their respective communities; and to learn how to improve their local environment and their own living standards. "The WAD course participants have now been given the golden opportunity to gain ownership of sustainable living technologies and literature, 4794.