LocationsIndigenous Women Leading the Way: Nurturing Change from the Land Up
December 15, 2025
Ms. Ester Hamukwaya, a beneficiary of the NILleg project, from the San community in northern Namibia.
Across Namibia’s diverse landscapes, indigenous and rural women are at the forefront of driving environmental stewardship, food security, and community resilience. Through the Namibia Integrated Landscape Approach for Enhancing Livelihoods and Environmental Governance (NILALEG) Project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) with UNDP, women are transforming their communities, one farm, one enterprise, and one seedling at a time.
Ms. Ester Hamukwaya of the San community with Meitavelo Himufe, monitoring and evaluation officer during a monitoring field visit
In Omupanda Village, Ms. Ester Hamukwaya of the San community embodies the power of women’s empowerment. Before joining the NILALEG project, she had no livestock or kraal. Through the project’s goat farming initiative, she received 11 goats and training in animal husbandry. Today, her herd has grown by 100%, reaching 22 goats, even amid droughts and animal disease. By integrating crops and livestock farming, Ms. Hamukwaya uses goat manure to enrich her fields, improving yields, and strengthening her household food security.
Her success is deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge, which she combines with modern techniques. She treats her goats using traditional herbs, ensures proper birthing practices, and follows time-tested feeding methods learned from elders. This blend of ancestral wisdom and new skills enables her to maintain herd health despite harsh climatic conditions.
“I never imagined owning animals or managing a kraal,” she reflected. “Today, I am independent and proud, my goats have changed my life.”Ester Hamukwaya
Some of the goats from Ms. Kavenangandha Koulave’s farm in the Omaiponga landscape.
In the Omaiponga landscape, Ms. Kavenangandha Koulave has transformed her small herd of 11 goats in 2021 into a thriving enterprise of over 50 goats today, a remarkable growth of over 100%. Drawing on indigenous knowledge for grazing management and natural predator control, she has emerged as a role model for sustainable and resilient livestock practices. Her story exemplifies resilience, women-led ownership, and community engagement, serving as a best-practice example under NILALEG’s goat revolving scheme.
Sasso Chicken Poultry Farm at Otjaandjamwenjo — the Ngaturikute Pamwe Women’s Poultry Project.
At Otjaandjamwenjo, the Ngaturikute Pamwe Women’s Poultry Project tells another inspiring story of female leadership and innovation. This group, composed primarily of women (71% women and 29% men of which 29% includes persons with disabilities), manages a fully functional poultry farm of over 160 chickens. They have combined indigenous knowledge and modern techniques in feed preparation and natural remedies to boost poultry health and egg production.
Their ingenuity extends beyond livestock: chicken manure is used to fertilize vegetable gardens, creating a closed-loop system that supports both human and animal nutrition. The group has diversified income streams by selling manure and plans to install a solar-powered borehole to further increase productivity. Through their leadership, women are driving income generation, food security, and self-reliance in their community.
These initiatives highlight the transformative impact of empowering women as custodians of the environment. By nurturing the land and applying both traditional and modern knowledge, women are restoring degraded landscapes, diversifying livelihoods, and building climate resilience. They are proof that gender empowerment is not only about equity; it is a catalyst for sustainable development, community well-being, and environmental stewardship.
Photo taken at Otjaandjamwenjo during a national visit to the Ngaturikute Pamwe Women’s Poultry Project, with the project manager and team.
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