The FAO Namibia team has grown with the addition of two new interns who recently joined the Organization

Lolita is an intern at FAO under the Regional Office for Africa (RAF) Internship Programme. She holds an Honors Degree in Science in Agriculture Food Science and Technology (2019) and is currently studying towards a Master’s Degree in Food Science and Technology majoring in Product Development through the University of Namibia.  On why she chose to apply for an internship at FAO Lolita says, “I believe FAO will create an opportunity to build a career within my field of expertise, which will offer a fulfilling environment that gives me satisfaction by contributing to Zero Hunger. I believe that an effective way to ensure No Poverty and Zero Hunger in Namibia is to address poverty through wealth creation. This simply means providing knowledge and resources for the local people to grow their own food.” 

As a Food Scientist, she aims to add value to FAO objectives by promoting agricultural technologies that are environmentally friendly and promote the use renewable energy. She would also like her work to contribute to the development of inclusive agriculture, food production and off-farm economies which creates jobs and eliminate hunger in rural areas.

With regards to future plans, Lolita says that “I aspire to be a product development specialist in the next two years and my hobbies include experimenting with different ingredients to develop my technical capacity in the area of Food Science. Working at FAO has been a childhood dream of mine and I am more than happy to live this dream right now.”

Mbapeua is an intern under the 2019 Indigenous Youth Programme. She graduated from the University of Namibia with a BSc Honours in Agriculture (Food Science and Technology). Hailing from a disadvantaged community in Kunene Region and witnessing food and nutrition insecurity on a daily basis compelled her to follow a career path that addresses the dire need to increase the capacity of communities to sustainably produce and add value to local food produce.

“My area of interest lies in value addition particularly that of underutilized indigenous food resources. I have been seeking to expose myself to the broad area of agricultural production and value addition. FAO is the reputable organization which provides the perfect platform not only to gain hands-on experience but also to contribute towards the goal of eradicating hunger and fighting poverty.” she says.

Mbapeua further hopes to be of significant use to the Organization by applying her knowledge on postharvest technologies, nutrition and product development as she understands that a lack of consistent access to food has negative consequences on nutrition, health and well-being.  Regarding her plans, Mbapeua says that “It is my desire to further my studies in the field mainly focusing on food quality, safety and product development of indigenous food. I believe it will equip me with coming up with suitable solutions through innovation to improve food security, nutrition and ultimately the livelihood of people.”