Primary school takes the lead Fourth consecutive year charity drive succeeds Moses van der Byl Primary School has undoubtedly led by example and shown many other Namibian schools what it means to give back to the community. The school’s premises was buzzing with excitement and cheer on Thursday of last week as the day came for the school to distribute food parcels to underprivileged members of the community. Among the invited guests of the day were not dignitaries, but the homeless and those living in highly impoverished areas. The Christmas Charity Project event kicked off with a moving speech by the school headmistress Clara Basson who extended a hearty welcome and thanks to everyone in attendance, sketching the real challenges of residents of the immediate community. This was followed by a speech by the founder and co-ordinator of the project, Mervin Mbakera, who is of the view that one does not have to be a millionaire in order to make a difference in somebody’s life.
“This project is deeply rooted in the concept of Harambee, which emphasises that nobody should be left behind, not even the homeless,” he said.
Mbakera added that each and every school in Namibia should give back to the community because the schools would not have existed without the community. The food parcels, which included cooking oil, sugar, rice and other non-perishable food products, were valued at approximately N$6 000.
The The crowd, comprising of the needier members of the community along with several homeless people, was entertained by a learner in Grade 5, who blew the audience away with his profound voice. The crowd was reduced to tears by the songs sung, which included the widely popular song Break Every Chain by world-renowned gospel songstress, Tasha Cobbs.
The project, which annually provides temporary relief for the needy, has been running for four consecutive years to date having been launched in 2012. At the time is was mainly aimed at the elderly folk in the Katutura Old Age Home. The following year saw the project move onto the Nama Tribal Community of Katutura Central and then to Aris Primary School and Havana Primary School in the years 2014 and 2015 respectively. The project focused on these two schools because they are mainly attended by children who are in dire need of financial assistance. In 2016, the groups targeted were the homeless and those living in highly impoverished areas.
Ashley Slinger, who was also in attendance at the event and delivered a speech on behalf of the underprivileged, expressed his deep gratitude at the school’s act of kindness. Slinger, who ended up on the streets after completing Grade 10, says that he is deeply concerned about the wellbeing of many children on the streets, as there has been an increase in drug use among them, mainly the sniffing of glue and other substances such as petrol. He further said that the situation is worsened by the fact that these children take drugs on an empty stomach. He stressed his appreciation saying, “We know now that we are not forgotten by the entire Namibian community. This is evident in acts such as the one undertaken by Moses van der Byl Primary School.”
This outreach project serves as proof that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and what could seem insignificant to one may mean the world to another. The looks of gratitude on the faces of the people to whom the food parcels were distributed were priceless and very moving. The school intends to reach more and more people in the coming years through this initiative because they believe that it is more rewarding to give than to receive.
Bertha Tobias