Safile gives back

Safile gives backFormer soccer star makes generous donation to orphans Eliphas Shivute has put his money where his mouth is by supporting school-going children in the north. Former Brave Warriors striker Eliphas 'Safile' Shivute has donated school uniforms to 86 orphans and vulnerable pupils at his home village of Olukonda.

The donation includes N$30 000 towards school uniforms as well as N$55 000 for the construction of shading at the local school.

He made a call to his fellow Namibians to develop a culture of sharing and to do away with the tendency of waiting for the government to provide.

Shivute told the gathering of parents, community leaders and stakeholders that the donation is part of N$200 000 that he secured from San Fishing (Pty) Limited to use for the benefit of three schools in the Oshikoto and Oshana regions.

Shivute is a shareholder in the fishing company.

“I was born in Olukonda and I am fully aware of the condition of the children and people of my community. Many of the children are from poverty-stricken backgrounds and I know how it feels to grow up in poverty. It is bitter, inconvenient, difficult and embarrassing to be among others who are better off,” Shivute said.

The education inspector for the Onathinge circuit in Oshikoto Region, Naemi Amuthenu, and former regional councillor for Olukonda constituency Fillemon Ndjambula, attended the event and express their gratitude.

Shivute told them, “I decided to invest in children because our nation's hopes rely on children, while our children's hope relies on education and their education relies on us. They are our future leaders and for them to have a better future it must come through education.”

Olukonda Primary School has 265 learners of which 115 are orphans and vulnerable children.

The children received a school jersey, blouse, trousers/skirts, shoes and school bags.

Shivute urged other Namibians also to look back to the communities where they come from and also to those who need their help.

Shivute, who started playing football at a very young age, was part of the national team between 1993 and 2001.

He also played overseas.

He told the children that he grew up in Walvis Bay with another local sport icon, former world boxing champion, Harry Simon.

He told them that they grew up just poor and worked hard to become successful.

Ndjambula and Amuthenu expressed their gratitude toward Shivute.

“This is very rare for our people. Many do not go back to their communities and assist where they can. It is a good thing that you remember where you came from and you decided to give back,” Ndjambula said.

Other schools to benefit from Shivute's gesture are Olukonda Senior Secondary School and Onezizi Combined School in Oluno circuit in the Oshana Region.



ILENI NANDJATO