The National Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) has raised an amount of N.dollars 410 000 in pledges for schools in the Zambezi Region, as part of its 11th edition of the National Fish Consumption Day (NFCD) celebrations.

The NFCD will take place at Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region on 28 September through a collaboration between the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), NFCPT and stakeholders, under the theme: ‘Celebrating our Oceans Reward.’

The pledges were raised during the NFCD gala dinner which took place in Walvis Bay on Saturday evening.

The NFCD was initiated in 2012 to promote fish consumption at the regional level but has over the years since been rolled out in 10 host regions.

In his keynote speech, Fisheries and Marine Resources Derek Klazen applauded NFCPT’s efforts to popularise a culture of consuming fish through consumer education as well as adding value beyond and above its primary mandate.

Klazen expressed that the NFCD is an occasion at which Namibian fish should be celebrated and should therefore benefit everyone.

“We remind ourselves of the nutritional and economic benefits of eating Namibian fish and these are the main objectives of why the Government established the National Fish Consumption Promotion Trust,” he stated.

The minister henceforth called upon the Katima Mulilo town council and the Municipality of Windhoek to provide suitable land for NFCPT to construct retail fish shops that will provide ample retail experience to its customers.

Chairperson of NFCPT Board of Trustees Suzan Ndjaleka said this year’s NFCD’s theme not only calls for recognising the abundance and nutrients seafood the Namibian ocean provide but also emphasises the economic ecological significance it invites Namibians to celebrate this year.

Zambezi Governor Alufea Sampofu in his acceptance speech expressed his gratitude towards the pledges and donations, noting that the funds will go a long way in alleviating school poverty in his region.

“In the Zambezi Region, we have dilapidated schools, classrooms. We still have traditional structures of sticks and mud and some learners are still learning and living in tents,” Sampofu expressed.

Hardap Region will host the 12th edition of the NFCD.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency