Governor's charity day hosted

Governor's charity day hostedEarly Christmas cheer for Epukiro residents Christmas celebrations started early in the dusty settlement of Epukiro in the Omaheke Region when the regional council hosted a charity day. The Omaheke governor''s office last week donated food items such as sugar, pasta, tinned and fresh fish valued at around N$80 000 to Epukiro community members.

This was done as part of the annual Governor''s Charity Day, initiated by Governor Festus Ueitele last year, after seeing the need to give back to communities.

This is done under the Governor''s Trust Fund which is supported by individuals and business people who donate items throughout the year.

One of the companies that contributed to the initiative this year was Ohere Fishing Company, which donated two tons of fish.

Advisor to the governor Pijoo Nganate said the idea behind the initiative was to instil the value of giving and caring, and to maintain human dignity within communities.

He said the country''s long-term goal was to create employment for its people and to teach them to be independent one day through the act of giving.

Nganate said the event was successful and that his office looked forward to working with individuals, especially the business people and farmers in the region, to assist the social fund to help the poorest of the poor.

“We want every day in Omaheke to be a Christmas Day, not only in December,” he said.

The governor''s office opted to go to the grassroots level of the region''s community to establish who really was in need of help.

Last year, the office donated food to almost 800 households. This year about 450 households received food.

The governor''s personal assistant, Brenda Tjijombo, was one of the people who distributed food to the Epukiro community.

She said there was a time when people used to take care of each other as part of the African heritage.

“If one person is unable to do it, the other would assist and this is what we would like to see in the entire Namibian nation,” said Tjijombo.

She added that it was essential to “work together and move in the same direction” to fight poverty.

NAMPA