Imagine your child not having a birth certificate at the age of 14. Aside from all of the other issues your child would have by not having a formal identity, your child would not be able to go to school. This is sadly a situation that many Namibian children find themselves in. But, luckily this situation is changing. The Ministry of Home Affairs along with the European Union and Terres des Hommes Italy have contracted Family of Hope Services to educate the community and to facilitate the birth registration of children and adults alike.
For three days, they lined up by the hundreds outside of Family of Hope’s new location in Havana, Katutura.
The Ministry of Home Affairs sent more than ten employees, plus computers, fingerprinting plates, and I.D. photograph equipment so that people could be processed as quickly as possible.
Lining up outside to obtain birth certificates.
Community volunteers acted as security.
All were there to obtain Namibian birth certificates either for one of their children or for themselves. In three days more than a thousand people showed up.
Once those looking for birth certificates made it though security at the gates, they were screened in the tents to be certain they had the proper documents and that they qualified for a birth certificate.
Elders were given a special place to keep them as comfortable as possible during the process. Many elders still use the former South African identity documents. The South African era ended in 1990.
Home Affairs employees screening applicants.
From the screening process they were sent into one of three buildings on site to have their particulars recorded, their fingerprints taken, and their photos taken for the record.
Everything was processed immediately. Photos were taken.
Fingerprints were obtained.
People needed birth certificates for all kinds of reasons.
One woman’s home burnt down and she lost all of her documents. She brought photos from the fire scene.
People needed birth certificates for all kinds of reasons.
One woman’s home burnt down and she lost all of her documents. She brought photos from the fire scene.
Another woman needed a birth certificate for her daughter so that she could go to school. Without identification, a child cannot write exams or move forward in life.
Others were there because they originally come from another country but have Namibian residency. They cannot afford to pay for renewals every year and having an identity card would ease their misfortune.
And still others were there to register their children.
Family of Hope is a major partner in the birth registration process by facilitating the process, educating and mobilizing the community to obtain their birth registrations, and by managing the events. This is all possible through their agreement with the European Union, Department of Home Affairs, and Terres Des Hommes out of Italy. The program will continue in 2014.
