Mpungu

{{Short description|Settlement in Namibia}} {{about|the settlement in Namibia|the spirits of Palo|Nkisi}} {{Infobox settlement   |name = Mpungu |other_name = |native_name =  |nickname = |settlement_type = Settlement |motto =  |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_type = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Namibia  |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_mapsize = 300 |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Namibia  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{flag|Namibia}} |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = Kavango West |subdivision_type2 = Constituency |subdivision_name2 = Mpungu Constituency |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 =  |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_party = |leader_title1 =  |leader_name1 = |established_title =  |established_date =  |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =  |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 =  |area_land_km2 =  |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi =  |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title = Ethnicities |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi =  |timezone = South African Standard Time |utc_offset = +2 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = {{coord|17|40|1.20|S|18|13|58.80|E|region:NA|display=inline,title}} |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m = |elevation_ft =  |postal_code_type =  |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = Climate |blank_info = BSh |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = }}

'''Mpungu''' is a settlement and a former mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society in the Mpungu Constituency in the Kavango West Region in Northern Namibia. It is located ca. 40 km south-west of Nkurenkuru and is inland as opposed to other former Finnish mission stations, which were located along the Kavango River. Today, a tarred highway from Ovamboland to Kavango connects Mpungu to other places in northern Namibia.

==History== The mission station was founded in 1951 by Hellin Elomaa, a nurse, who also founded a small clinic there.<ref name=Peltola>{{cite book |title= Sata vuotta suomalaista lähetystyötä 1859–1959. II: Suomen Lähetysseuran Afrikan työn historia. |trans-title=A hundred years of Finnish missionary work 1859–1959. II: The history of the Finnish Missionary Society in Africa |last= Peltola |first= Matti |authorlink= |year=1958 |publisher= Suomen Lähetysseura (The Finnish Missionary Society) |location= Helsinki |isbn= |page=240 |pages= |accessdate= |url= }}</ref>

In Mpungu, the Finnish missionaries were also in touch with the local San population.<ref name=Peltola />

==Infrastructure== Today there is still a health centre in Mpungu, as well as the Himarwa Iithete Senior Secondary School. Mpungu is situated on the B15 national road that connects to Angola via the Katwitwi settlement and border post to the north, and to Tsintsabis and Tsumeb to the south.<ref>{{Cite news | title=The forgotten settlement of Tsintsabis | last=Itamalo | first=Marx | newspaper=The Namibian | date=20 July 2016 | page=6 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/153377/archive-read/The-forgotten-settlement-of-Tsintsabis}}</ref> It also connects to Okongo via the C45.

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Populated places in Kavango West Category:Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission mission stations in Kavango