Teopolina Namandje – an ICLD mentor

Teopolina Namandje from Namibia is a Senior Transport Economist at the country´s state Roads Authority where she deals with budgeting, financial analysis and consultations with high-level policy makers. She is a mentor for the ITP programme Leadership in Local Governance.

Teopolina Namandje found out about the ICLD mentorship position through a Ghanian friend who was at that time studying in Sweden in a research project funded by ICLD.

”I chose to become a mentor to enhance my knowledge and leadership skills as well as to give back my own skills in project management.”

But not only that: she also looked forward to develop her international career through networking and building relationships with people from the four participating countries (Namibia, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia).

As a mentor she provides support to a team om four within the Oshakati Town Council on a waste management project. The aim is to improve civil society and create awareness in sustainable waste collection. She offers the team different perspectives and co-hosts workshops and facilitate team building exercises. So far, she has assisted the team to identify the main causes of poor waste management thru a ”Problem tree” using the Logical Framework Approach (LFA).

She is also content that the team has taken concrete steps to follow the principle of inclusivity: they have already organized sessions of public consultation to ensure citizen participation within the town.

Teopolina Namandje has found it overwhelming and enriching to learn how local governments are administered both in other African countries and in Sweden. Her best memory so far are the warm reactions she got after showing the video clip she had produced herself showcasing the Owambo Namibian culture.