Okongo

Coordinates: 17°34′S 17°13′E / 17.567°S 17.217°E / -17.567; 17.217^[1]

Okongo is a village in the Ohangwena Region of northern Namibia, situated about 120 km east of Eenhana.^[1] It is the district capital of the Okongo electoral constituency.

The area is sandy and forested so much that most of the time it is difficult to access. The most commonly spoken language in the area is Oshiwambo. Most people who stay there are subsistence farmers.^{[citation needed]}

History

The first people to stay there were the San people who hunted in this area. The word "Okongo" is derived from this; "onhele youkongo" (Oshiwambo) means a place or forest for hunting. The San people who depend on hunting of wildlife and the gathering of wild fruit for survival stay in Okongo because there was a lot of wildlife and different types of fruits.^{[citation needed]}

Educational sector

Okongo has a primary and a secondary school, Oshela Senior Secondary School. Due to a lack of technology most of the students especially at the secondary level end up not performing well because they do not get access to technology like computers. Most residents are not educated because they did not get access to education.^{[citation needed]}

Health services

Okongo has a 62-bed hospital equipped with a mortuary and accommodation for nurses.^{[citation needed]}

Development

There is a gravel road under construction that will run from Eenhana to Okongo.^{[citation needed]} The Women's Action for Development (WAD) group conducted a project aimed at skills transfer to local women. A total of about 120 unemployed women graduated from this program in 2010.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Okongo Map — Satellite Images of Okongo". http://www.maplandia.com/namibia/ohangwena/okongo/. 
2. ^ "Unemployed Okongo Women Graduates". Namibia Economist (allafrica.com). 24 September 2010. http://allafrica.com/stories/201009270072.html. Retrieved 6 April 2011.