Nandi-Ndaitwah salutes Pohamba’s support to rural mothers

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has highlighted how former first lady Penehupifo Pohamba helped improve access to maternal healthcare for expectant mothers from rural communities.

Speaking at Pohamba’s memorial service at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek on Saturday, Nandi-Ndaitwah recalled witnessing the construction of maternity waiting shelters while serving as minister of women affairs and child welfare.

The shelters helped address the challenges faced by expectant mothers who lived far from health facilities and needed to be closer to medical care before giving birth.

“Madame Penehupifo did not measure service by what it brought to her. She measured it by what it gave to others,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

She said Pohamba’s commitment to maternal and child health was rooted in her years of service as a nurse and midwife, a profession she pursued during the colonial era, the liberation struggle and after independence.