LÜDERITZ – The acting CEO of Seaflower Mike Nghipunya has stressed that the group believes in the principle of giving back to the community.
The Seaflower group of companies ploughs back to the Lüderitz community through the initiation of outreach programmes for residents.
As a group that utilizes a national resource, it is their obligation to ensure Lüderitz and Namibia as a whole benefit from their social contribution initiatives, he said.
The group initiated a Corporate Social Responsibility Fund with an annual budget of around N$1 million to cater for the noble commitment of giving back.
The group feeds the needy through fish donations to soup kitchens, promotes community art development and education while at the same time promotes capacity-building through the awarding of bursaries, as well as through contributions to various other community development and empowerment projects.
Nghipunya emphasized that the group saw it fit to invest in the development of knowledge by awarding bursaries to students in various academic fields.
Over the Easter weekend Seaflower awarded four full bursaries worth N$150 000 in the fields of fitting and turning, diesel mechanics, marine sciences and air-condition and refrigeration repairs.
Marsha Pickering, currently studying in her 1st year in marine science at the University of Namibia, is from Lüderitz.
Matheus Nambahu from Lüderitz is studying fitting and turning at the Namibia Institute of Mining Technology (NIMT) in Tsumeb and is in his second year.
Vilho Lungameni from Omuthiya is a first year student studying aircon and refrigeration at Arandis.
The other student Petrus Fillemon from Olupembana- Elim is a second year student at NIMT in Keetmanshoop studying diesel mechanics.
At the same occasion Nghipunya briefed the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Chief Samuel Ankama about the development he brought to the company since he was appointed as the acting CEO of Seaflower in May last year.
He stated that they ordered a new shipping vessel, which was expected to arrive on April 14.
The other vessel christened ‘Alex’ went for repairs and it will be back by next week.
Having all three vessels operating in the company Nghipunya believed will bring job opportunities to many people.
Ankama praised Nghipunya for the good job he’s done in bringing development to Seaflower and ensuring that the company has a happy workforce.
Ankama wished the bursary beneficiaries all the best in their endeavours.