The Reverend George "Lukenge" Tobias arrived on the Mission site at Odibo Village on 19 August 2024. The site was given to Lukenge by Hamukoto waKaluvi, the then Chief Headman. Instantly, Lukenge started his work under the Omwandi tree (scientific name - Diospyros mespiliformis; common name - Jackal berry tree), which came to be known as "Omwandi waLukenge"; which is still standing today and bearing fruits. At his arrival at Odibo, Lukenge was concerned about water, shelter and a place of worship. He immediately built a chapel as well as established places of learning and medical services in 1925. In subsequent years Lukenge established the mission as a self-contained centre with a Church, Hospital, School and Workshop which served as the maintenance office for the Mission as a whole. Today, St Mary's Odibo Mission is a place characterised by several dwellings comprised of a Church, Health Centre, High School, Management Offices, Garage, the Host Shop, Olupale laLukenge and the Maternal Shelter, as well as Accommodation and Meeting/Conference facilities.Read more...

In addition to building places for worship, education and health services, Lukenge also dug a well (Ondungu yaLukenge). The Lukenge well provided water to residents of the Mission for 34 years, thereafter a deep earth dam, with a boundary fence, was excavated in 1958 as a major water source. At the time of constructing the earth dam, a water system known as the Odibo Filtration Station was also built. The process of filtration involved water being pumped from the earth dam, through a generator, into a small dam and then pumped up the Filter Station to remove contaminations and make it suitable for human consumption. However, with clean drinking water more accessible through the Namibian Government Water Supply System today, in 2021 the Mission Management felt the need to rehabilitate (renovate) the dam. Today, dam water is made more accessible to animals and used for washing and gardening by the surrounding villages/populations.Read more...