A TOTAL total of 963 households have been enrolled in the Conditional Basic Income Grant (CBIG) programme in the Oshikoto region.

The head of the Oshikoto Regional Council's division of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare, Petrus Kuutondokwa, on Wednesday said the beneficiaries have been receiving their grants since February 2025.

He was speaking during the Regional Development Coordinating Committee meeting held at Omuthiya.

Kuutondokwa said they registered CBIG households in the urban and semi-urban areas of the region between 22 October 2024 and 08 November 2024.

He further noted that a total of 963 households will receive N$600 per month.

"These households are from Tsumeb, Oshivelo, Omuthiya, and Oniipa in the region," Kuutondokwa said.

"This programme transitioned the food bank beneficiaries to cash transfers, with plans for further rollout in urban areas."

Kuutondokwa explained that the programme focuses on towns and areas on the outskirts of urban centres because these areas often require social support but do not fully benefit from rural-focused initiatives such as drought relief.

Rural areas receive assistance from the Drought Relief Programme, so the CBIG initiative is focused on peri-urban zones.

"This programme is a targeted social assistance initiative to address food insecurity in urban and peri-urban areas, where the need is more acute," Kuutondokwa said.

He also highlighted challenges such as inadequate coordination and funding constraints.

"Some teachers wanted to enrol in this programme, so we had to advise them that they do not meet the requirements."

Kuutondokwa added that they have also registered 2 000 San community members for social grants in the region.

"The initiative aims to reduce vulnerabilities and promote gender equality through access to national documents and social grants," he said.