Besides causing a variety of devastating disruptions to livelihoods and economies worldwide, the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 placed many countries in overwhelming levels of hunger. The United Nations World Food Programme reported that the greatest concentration of need was in Africa.In Namibia, Bank Windhoek proactively supported the Namibian Government's COVID-19 response in various areas, but most importantly, the Bank supplied nutritious food to vulnerable communities to boost their immune systems to fight COVID-19.
The Bank partnered with charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), who received over a hundred thousand Namibian dollars towards their various feeding schemes countrywide. A few of these are:
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform: Bank Windhoek sponsored the annual World Food Day in October 2020 in Ondangwa, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform. The Day highlights global efforts to combat world hunger, raises awareness of world food challenges, promotes unity, and strengthens solidarity in fighting hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
Hope Village: Bank Windhoek committed to supporting the Hope Village with food for six months. Hope Village is a long-term placement facility for children, which currently cares for 85 children.
SOS Children's Villages Namibia: SOS is an independent, non-governmental, international development organisation of which Namibia is a member. In 2020, Bank Windhoek sponsored food parcels to the SOS Ondangwa branch, which comprises 12 houses, where 96 children and young people currently receive care. The organisation has various programmes that include family strengthening and care at the Villages in Windhoek, Ondangwa, and Tsumeb.
Ungulumbashe Community Centre - Windhoek: The centre caters and support children and vulnerable people in their community by providing nutritional, educational, and humanitarian services. To keep their doors open, the centre is mainly dependent on the immediate community members around Okahandja Park, Katutura, donations from corporates such as Bank Windhoek.
Daures Constituency Residents - Erongo Regional Council: The majority of the constituency people are subsistence farmers and craft sellers; Bank Windhoek assisted with feeding 150 vulnerable households.
Nurturing Ground Community Mobilisation Project: This is a community mobilisation project situated in the Osipita Village, Oshikoto Region and was registered as a non-governmental organisation fourteen years ago. The Project's founder, Taura Iifo, an English teacher by profession, teaches children, and provides food to the elderly and orphans. The Project also focuses on women empowerment ventures such as tailoring, basket weaving, and small and medium-sized enterprises workshops.
Outjo Municipality - Counsellor Feeding Programme: The Outjo community is one of the publics whose economy is affected by the tourism industry's slumping during the lockdown period. Bank Windhoek partnered with the Outjo Municipality through the Counsellor Feeding Programme and donated food parcels to 440 residents of which 380 are senior citizens.
Bank Windhoek Online Agriculture Series: In October 2020, Bank Windhoek hosted a two-day online series that shared vital insights and expertise on Namibia's current agriculture situation and how organisations and individuals alike can tap into this sector and grow and improve their efforts. The series shared essential topics such as regenerative rangeland management for climate change adaptation, with the key speaker, Dr. Christine Jones, from Australia. Other topics discussed were organic agriculture and nutrition, agriculture economics, business and marketing, and the Bank's role in financing climate change initiatives. The four-part series is available on the Bank's YouTube channel.
“In 2021, we aim to continue journeying together with Namibians toward a brighter future," said Bank Windhoek's Executive Officer of Marketing and Corporate Communication Services, Jacquiline Pack.
