It is my considered view that Namibia must think differently about prevention. I appreciate President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah for continuing the tradition of a National Day of Prayer, following the example of former President Hifikepunye Pohamba. There is value in a nation coming together to pray and seek God’s guidance when we face challenges such as gender-based violence, family conflict and emotional distress. But prayer must also make us think. It must challenge us to ask what we can practically do before problems become tragedies.

Namibia already has laws, institutions, counselling services, mental-health professionals and organisations responding to these challenges. My concern is whether we reach people early enough. Are we reaching someone before anger becomes violence, before a relationship collapses, before despair deepens, or before a troubled mind creates danger on the road?

We are living in a different world, and people need to be listened to. In the past, particularly men, were often told to “man up”, keep things inside and deal with their problems silently. But keeping everything inside does not make a problem disappear. Sometimes the burden grows until it begins destroying the person carrying it. For some people, alcohol becomes a way of coping with burdens they do not know how to express or manage. Men and women may turn to alcohol to escape pain they do not know how to express, and some drink themselves into serious harm or even death. We must create opportunities for people to speak before what is inside them becomes more damaging.

I propose that Namibia establish a permanent National Community Outreach Programme dedicated to early emotional and psychosocial intervention. It should operate continuously in communities because emotional and social problems do not follow government calendars.

In my considered view, we should use unemployed nurses as an important part of this outreach. They possess health knowledge, professional training, interpersonal abilities and an understanding of human wellbeing. The purpose would not be to turn nurses into psychologists or psychiatrists, but to use their skills as an early point of contact and bridge to specialised assistance.

I envisage these nurses going village by village and community by community instead of waiting for troubled people to enter hospitals or clinics. They should create spaces where people can speak about anger, rejection, grief, loneliness, relationship difficulties, family conflict, financial pressure or other burdens. They would not need to wear nursing uniforms. A less formal setting may make it easier for someone to approach them without feeling like a patient.

The programme must have a clear professional structure. Where a matter is beyond the nurse’s training or requires deeper assessment, the person should be referred through an established pathway. I believe every region should have a psychologist or psychiatrist as the senior professional heading that regional team. That professional would work with outreach nurses, social workers, counsellors and other relevant services, ensuring serious cases receive proper psychological or psychiatric attention.

This is important because the proposal should not create a parallel system. It should connect communities to what exists. Outreach nurses should be linked directly with hospitals, clinics, social workers, counselling services, mental-health facilities and organisations working on GBV and psychosocial support. Their responsibility would be to listen, identify concerns, provide basic support within their competence and ensure the person reaches the right professional when specialised help is needed.

I also believe we must recognise the public-safety dimension. Consider a driver who gets behind the steering wheel while carrying an enormous emotional burden, overthinking a personal problem, lost in his or her thoughts and struggling to concentrate. We cannot say every road accident is caused by emotional distress, but we should not ignore the possibility that severe preoccupation can affect attention.

If we help people deal with emotional pressures earlier, the benefits may extend beyond families into road safety.

This programme must recognise that emotional wellbeing is not a men’s issue alone. Men may be discouraged from speaking about their problems and told simply to be strong, but women also experience anger, grief, rejection, loneliness, relationship conflict and overwhelming pressure. This is a human issue. Everyone should have a safe opportunity to speak before circumstances become a crisis.

At the same time, emotional distress never excuses violence. Every person remains responsible for his or her actions. But responsibility after violence occurs should not prevent us from asking what could have been done earlier. If someone shows signs of being overwhelmed, creating an opportunity to speak, receive guidance, and get professional help may prevent consequences that are far more difficult to repair. I therefore believe the National Day of Prayer should inspire more than prayer alone. We cannot only pray for Government to find solutions while Government is also praying for solutions. At some point, prayer must be accompanied by listening, thinking, planning and doing. We should pray for our nation while building practical ways to support its people.

My conviction is that a permanent National Community Outreach Programme could give Namibia a missing bridge between ordinary people and professional services. It would bring the first opportunity to speak closer to where people live and ensure serious cases are not left without a clear next step. Let us pray for Namibia, but let us also listen to Namibia.

Let us not wait until people break before we ask how we could have helped them. Prevention must begin before the crisis, not only after the damage.

*Hidipo Hamata writes from Omafo – Helao Nafidi Town.