Tuulikki Abraham
Lüderitz-Two Lüderitz-based fishing companies, namely, Lüderitz Bay Fishing Enterprises and Marco Fishing collectively donated N$120,000 to five government schools at the harbour town.
Of this amount N$50,000 was availed to the schools immediately for the school-feeding programme and another N$50,000 will be available in January 2018 for the same purpose.
A further N$20,000 was donated to schools in Aus and Bethanie to assist needy children to buy winter clothes.
The ceremony took place at Marco Fishing and was attended by the principals of the five schools, as well as Peter-John Sylvester of Lüderitz Bay Fishing, Reeva van Rooi of Marco Fishing and the chairman of the Marco Fishing Charitable Trust, Jan Scholtz.
Scholtz said the donations are in response to the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which calls for the eradication of poverty and the bolstering of education.
Sylvester stated the fishing companies have a responsibility to plough back into the community, and any donation however small ends up making a difference.
The school principals through Bentos Garoeb expressed their gratitude saying the donations come at a time when they are most needed, as the teachers of some schools are currently keeping their feeding programme going by bringing food from their homes.
Garoeb exhorted other companies to emulate Lüderitz Bay Fishing and Marco Fishing’s good example by donating to charitable works.