OYO MAGAZINE ON ‘NUTRITION’ Magazine cover OYO new issue of its magazine ‘OYO, young, latest and cool’ is now out. This issue deals with the theme ‘nutrition’. Namibia has changed a lot over recent years, not only politically, but also in its demographics (the structure and characteristics of society). While there are still a lot of people living in rural areas, especially in the north of the country, we observe that more and more people have moved towards towns and cities, either for education or for employment. Many changes come about when people move to towns. One of them relates to their diets. In rural areas, people can grow their own mahangu (millet) or maize, and they often have a small garden and some chicken, goats or cattle. This means that people can live on their own food. They don’t need to go and buy food in town. They can get their carbohydrates from porridge, their proteins from meat, eggs or milk, their fat from local oil (for instance oil extracted from marula fruit), and vitamins and minerals from milk and fruits they can find locally. However, such alimentation can quickly become unbalanced: if people are poor, they will mostly survive on porridge, which does not provide enough protein or vitamins. Also, people may tend to eat too much meat, which is not good for one’s health. Finally, the production of food depends on the weather: if there is a drought or a flood, nothing much will grow. In urban areas, people cannot that easily grow their own gardens and they certainly cannot keep chickens, goats or cattle at home. This means that people cannot rely on their own food, and they need to buy food in shops. As long as they have enough money, they can get their carbohydrates from pasta or rice, their proteins from meat, eggs or milk, their fat from cooking oil or butter, and their vitamins and minerals from all sorts of fruits and vegetables. People have many choices, and they can easily get a balanced diet and vary their daily menus. This is not dependent on the weather (even in case of drought or floods there is food in shops!)  However, such food cost a lot of money. If people are not rich enough, they cannot easily access this food. Whether you live in an urban or a rural area, it is therefore important to know about nutrition, to know what is good for you and what is bad for you. This is particularly important for parents and for children themselves. While you are growing up and are a learner, you need to concentrate in class. It is also extremely important when you live with a condition that affects your immune system, such as HIV or AIDS. You all know that if you are HIV-positive, you need to live positively. Living positively includes paying particular attention to your diet. This can help you strengthen your immune system and live much longer. It was therefore decided to dedicate an issue of OYO, young, latest and cool to the topic of nutrition and to find out more about what you know about the issue. The magazine is currently being distributed in schools in the Kunene, Erongo and Khomas regions. For more information on the magazine, you can contact us at info@ombetja.org