Hon. Erastus Uutoni

Honourable Uutoni started his career in the 1970s when he joined the SWAPO of Namibia People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). He worked in various positions in the party before becoming the Mayor of Ongwediva Town Council from 1995 – 1997. Between 2002-2004 he became a Management Committee member of Local Authorities Pension Fund and an Executive Committee member of Association of Local Authority (ALAN). In 2004, he became an Aquaculture Advisory Councillor with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. He was also the Chairman of the NORED electricity company between 2002-2005. Between 1993 – 2010 he was a Town Councillor of Ongwediva Town, as well as the mayor of the town between 1998 – 2010. He moved up the ranks and became Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Safety and Security between 2010 – 2015, as well as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration between 2015 – 2018. He then became the Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service between 2018 – 2020, before taking on his current role of Minister of Urban and Rural Development.

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Dr. Emma Haiyambo

Dr. Haiyambo, before joining the Research and Financial Sector Development department served in different capacities at the Bank including the portfolio of Director of Strategic Communications and Financial Sector Development from 2016 - 2023. Before joining the Bank in 2000, she served as Economist for National Accounts at National Planning Commission, Trade Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Chief Development Planner at the Department of Women Affairs. She has also served the public sector in other capacities, including being Director and Board Chairperson for public entities. Her experience thus ranges from macroeconomic statistics and analysis, economic research, development finance, public policy, trade policy, project management, central banking communication, strategic management, and governance. Dr Haiyambo holds a PhD in Development Finance from the University of Stellenbosch, a MSc degree, and Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Economics (University of London), a Master’s in International Business (Polytechnic of Namibia), a Bachelor of Economics (University of Namibia) and a National Diploma in Public Administration (Technikon Namibia). She also holds several other certified trainings in various leadership and management programmes.

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Dr. Elisenda Estruch-Puertas

Elisenda Estruch Puertas is an economist with more than fifteen years of experience in international development, policy, strategic partnerships, economic analysis, capacity development and resource mobilization. She has wide expertise on rural employment, decent work, informal employment, youth, women, migration and social protection. She is working in ILO’s Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR) in HQ/Geneva. She has over 15 years of experience in policy support, capacity development and analytical work to promote decent work in the rural economy and related sectors. Previously, Elisenda worked as labour economist in FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization). She has conducted extensive research on labour markets, and has authored a multitude of peer-reviewed publications on the topic of labour markets and employment promotion, particularly in rural areas. Elisenda holds a European PhD on Socioeconomics and Statistics, as well as a degree on Economics and a master’s degree on European Economics.

Download Paper: Boosting rural economies through decent work and social justice in Namibia– lessons from other countries.

Ms. Hopolang Phororo

Ms. Hopolang Phororo of Lesotho has devoted more than 20 years to public service. She previously served as the ILO Director in the Country Office for Zimbabwe and Namibia for just over 7 years. She has worked for the ILO for the past 11 years, as the Deputy Director in the Country Office for Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda; and in the Regional Office for Africa as the Youth Employment Specialist and Decent Work Focal Point Officer.

Prior to joining the UN System in 2003, she worked in Namibia as a Researcher at the Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit. In Lesotho, as National Project Officer at UNDP and prior to that as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Southern African Studies and as Marketing Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture. She has written and published several working papers and selected articles and chapters in books on HIV/AIDS, youth employment and agricultural marketing topics, including an inspirational book titled “Joy Comes in the Morning”. She is an advocate for gender-based violence and is passionate about leadership and empowering women and youth.

She obtained her master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Duquesne University. She possesses an honour’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa.

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Ms. Ji-Yeun Rim

Ms Ji-Yeun Rim is a Senior Policy Analyst at the OECD Development Centre where she oversees the work on youth well-being, agriculture and food systems transformation and inclusive green transition. She led the EU-OECD Youth Inclusion project, which supported the development of national youth policies in nine developing countries and global research on youth aspirations, youth entrepreneurship and rural youth livelihoods. Ms Rim joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2009 and has contributed to various workstreams related to social cohesion, youth, social protection and rural development. Prior to the OECD, Ms Rim worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN on local institutions, food security and rural development projects. Ms Rim has a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master in Public Administration and Social Welfare from Kyung Hee University, and an Master in Business Administration from HEC-Paris.

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Mr. Titus Endjala

Mr Titus Endjala has been working for the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development as a Director of Rural Development, from August 2020 to date. He is responsible for planning, facilitating, and coordinating the national rural development initiatives implemented by the Ministry. He is also overseeing the Rural Development Centres, responsible for designing and manufacturing appropriate technology products for rural communities. Before joining the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Mr Endjala worked for the European Union in Namibia for ten years as a Programme Manager for Development Cooperation responsible for Rural Development, including Agriculture, Environment, Land Reform and Infrastructure Development.

Mr Endjala holds a Master’s degree in Integrated Land Management, a bachelor's degree in Environmental Management (Geography) and a national diploma in Natural Resources Management (Agriculture).

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Ms. Serufo Ruth Ntsabane

Ms. Serufo Ntsabane, works as Director, Rural Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in the Republic of Botswana. She holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies, Post Graduate Studies in Education and Bachelor of Arts in Humanities (Sociology and English) from the University of Botswana. She is also a PhD Candidate at the University of North West (Potchefstroom Campus, Under the African Centre for Disaster Studies). Her research is on Resilience and Adaptation to drought among vulnerable rural farming households in Botswana. Her duties and responsibilities are among others to; provide through the Rural Development Council, an effective focal point for Rural Development Policy coordination; ensure effective information flow through consultation with rural development agencies and inter-ministerial committees; and work with stakeholders to ensure that, the available communal resources are equitably utilised. Ms. Ntsabane also serves as the Chairperson for the Botswana Vulnerability Assessment committee.

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