WINDHOEK – A feeding scheme to benefit 1 600 schoolchildren from impoverished families was launched last Thursday by the Otjomuise Project School.
The feeding scheme bankrolled by KFC, the fast food franchise, in collaboration with Universal Church, will benefit learners from Palme Primary School, Tobias Hainyeko Primary School, Otjomuise Project School and Aughakas Primary.
Universal Church has been feeding learners at these schools courtesy of KFC since 2011.
But last Thursday KFC announced at Otjomuise Project School in 8ste Laan in Otjomuise that it will now be working with the Universal Church on a project called ‘Add-hope Namibia’ to feed these learners, thereby ensuring they do not attend classes on empty stomachs.
Paul Sauerwein, the principal of Otjomuise Project School said: “I am thankful to the Universal Church because when they come and feed our children they (learners) concentrate more on their school work and they are more energetic.”
This was the first time that Add-hope was introduced to Namibia and it will not stop anytime soon, said the brand manager of KFC in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, Thabo Ntseoane.
He added that as the project expands it will contribute to alleviating hunger in the country as more communities would be involved.
‘’The Universal Church is feeding 1 600 children and with this project it will feed even more children,” noted Ntseoane.
“As KFC our vision is to ensure children don’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from. However, to focus more of their attention towards school, reading and playing. We believe this will liberate their ambitions to reach for their dreams without fear, thus creating a path for future leaders,” he added.
He said in the absence of Add-hope Namibia , KFC Namibia has greatly contributed towards feeding programmes in four schools.
“I’m proud to announce that our future plans are to increase the number of schools we support to seven by the end of 2015,” Ntseoane said.
“We do this voluntarily. We do not get paid, we do it from the bottom of our hearts,” said Gloria Guilheme from the Universal Church.
After the launch, learners at the Otjomuise Project School were served with porridge.