Page 13 - MRC Newsletter Ed-1 (2021)
P. 13

SSD REFLECTIONS:  An Effective




        and Efficient Accomplishment





       The Social Sciences Division (SSD)  work    in  developing    research   specifically women. In addition, the
       at MRC comprises of six operational  projects and funding proposals and  SSD spearheaded the study on the
       research  programmes  under  the  in  liaising with  potential  research  viability of Lease Agreements with
       custodian of qualified and capable  partners  to  secure  funding  for  respect to the livelihood of resettled
       researchers and these programmes  research.                              farmers. This study contributed to
       include Population Dynamics and                                          the  increase  in  the  registration  of
       Reproductive     Health;   Gender    Dr Napandulwe Shiweda, who  is  leasehold  in  the  Deeds  Office  as
       Training  and    Research;   Land    the  Head of Department  of the  a form  of  secure  tenure  rights.  Ms
       Research Programme;  Education  SSD, revealed that key amongst the  Immaculate Mogotsi  led a study
       and Skills; Equity in Health; Disaster  funding that the SSD researchers  on Gender Based Violence (GBV)
       Management;  and  History  and  secured, is an assignment from  in collaboration  with  the Ministry
       Contemporary       Social    Issues  the  Office  of  the  First  Lady.  In  this  of Gender and Child Welfare and
       Research.  In an effort  to  attain  regard,  Dr  Elisabeth Ngololo,  a  other stakeholders which resulted in
       national   developmental     goals   senior researcher  in charge  of  the amendment of the Combating
       and improve the  quality of life of  the  Education  and  Skills Research  of the Domestic Violence Act,
       Namibian citizens,  SSD engages  Programme carried out a study that  particularly the stricter enforcement
       in research  that  is aligned to  the  was commissioned by the Office of  of the protection orders by the law
       National Development Plan 5’s  the First Lady.                           enforcement agencies.
       priority areas. Over the last five-year
       period (2015-2020),  researchers  Mr  Martin  Shapi led  a  team  of  Other noteworthy projects entailed
       displayed  dedication and hard   researchers       on   the   National   collaborative projects with the
                                            Commercial Land Demand and  Ministry of  Poverty  Eradication
                                            Purchases  in Namibia which was  and  Social Welfare  on  evaluating
                                            commissioned and funded by the  the Food  Bank Programme  in the
                                            Ministry of Land Reform. The study  Khomas Region which informed
                                            revealed the discrepancies in land  the  ministry on  the  scaling  up of
                                            distribution  among  different  social  the  project  across  the  country.
                                            groups of the Namibian society and  Moreover, SSD recently completed
                                            advised the government on the best  a  study on  the  assessment of
         Dr Elisabeth Ngololo               methods of land acquisition and  lifestyle    related  diseases   and
         As a researcher under the          distribution. Furthermore, the team  coping mechanism of people living
         project, I remain grateful that    conducted  research  on  Women’s  in urban  areas in Namibia. The
         the Office of the First Lady       land use, ownership and rights  study shed light on the prevalence
         considered the research
         potential and human capacity       study in Oshana, Ohangwena,  of non-communicable  diseases
         of our researchers and provided    Omusati and Oshikoto  funded by  and management thereof.
         funding to the tune of N$305 055   Konrad Adenuer Stiftung (KAS).
         for a project on Early Childhood
         Development in Namibia.”                                               The  division secured  funding  for
         Equally, other national projects   This research served as a baseline  thirteen  projects and scholarships
         with a national impact in which    study for KAS to create awareness  for four postgraduate students. Dr
         SSD researchers were involved,
         include some research projects     in terms  of  gender  disparities  Shiweda attests that  the  efforts  of
         on land issues in Namibia.         to land access  and ownership,  the researchers in securing funding





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