RESOURCES
Research Report
Impact of Transport on Access to Health Services for PLWHA in Namibia
Transport has a crucial role to play in increasing Namibian communities’ access to health services, particularly for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Research conducted by the BEN Namibia demonstrates the strong need for intersectoral initiatives to provide appropriate and affordable transport solutions to patients and health workers in the country. Read more
Commentary
Namibia's Transport Challenge by Michael Linke
Imagine if, 17 years after Independence, Namibia's education system still catered almost exclusively for a small, wealthy elite. Imagine that spending on schools served the richest half of the population, while those living on a few dollars a day remained excluded. The implications are obvious; this situation would worsen the poverty trap, providing no opportunities for the poorest people to better their lives.Thankfully, Namibia has addressed the gap in education and other public service spending between different racial and economic groupings.
It is surprising then that the same cannot be said for a sector that is a crucial economic accelerator for Namibia's poorest people: transport. Read more
Essay
We Are Not Alone Anymore by Clarisse Cunha Linke
Here are some facts we know: bicycles are the most viable transport solution for short distances in sub-Saharan Africa considering affordability, load capacity, speed, range, maintenance, ease of procurement and infrastructure required. These technical facts are well documented and discussed in several studies. But that is not what I want to discuss here. What I want to discuss is what we still do not know (at least not well enough) about the real changes bicycles bring to peoples’ lives at the most individual level. Do bicycles change a person’s sense of vulnerability and powerlessness? What are the lessons we learn from people we are trying to help? Here is what I have been learning from Namibians. Read more
