By Anna Ingwafa
ONDANGWA
Live Life Foundation, an initiative of Leading Lodges of Africa together with the Ondonga Traditional Authority under King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas has joined forces to raise funds for the building of an orphanage on the outskirts of Ondangwa.
Once complete, the orphanage will cost a whopping N$60 million.
Last Saturday, a groundbreaking ceremony ushered in the first phase of the project.
The orphanage will host an administrative building, a medical centre, a school, a playground and accommodation mainly for 100 HIV/Aids orphans and others.
Prime Minister Nahas Angula said: “The future of our country lies with our children. This cannot be stressed enough and surely, we can never do enough to develop our children. I am therefore pleased to have learned about this initiative being co-coordinated and driven by a traditional authority and private sector member.”
Angula complimented King Kauluma on the initiative and his vision. The king approached the private sector and entered into smart partnerships with private entities in an effort to improve the living conditions, education and health of his community.
Leading Lodges of Africa is under the chairmanship of Count Paul Van de Vijver.
Leading Lodges Africa invited King Kauluma to Belgium for a fund-raising safari.
King Kauluma appreciated what the foundation and all the trustees of the King Kauluma Children’s trust have invested in the project.
“Count Paul Van de Vijver is the best example to other Namibians as to how one can uplift communities, and the inspiration is highly commendable. The seriousness with which he engages in social responsibility is admirable. I can only request other private sector leaders to follow his example.”
The King said the orphanage will be built in the heart of the community and allow the children to be exposed and to have contact with their families and culture.
“We cannot always wait for the Government to take action. We as communities in Namibia can through deliberations with the private sector achieve a lot and through this process assist the Government to develop a beautiful country,” he stressed.
International sponsors, national sponsors such as Holcim, Leading Designs and Leading Lodges of Namibia, TransNamib, BIC, Windhoek Vocational Training Centre and Guido De Clercg of Fabiola Incorporated in Namibia are among the sponsors.
The total cost on the project after completion of Phase Three will be N$60 million. Leading Lodges of Africa are the main sponsors of the project.
Count Paul Van de Vijvier said his company believes it is the national duty of all businesses in Namibia to engage in social projects to uplift the living conditions of fellow Namibians.
The First Phase of construction is expected to commence within the next four weeks. The project will be completed in 12 months. Phase Two and Three will follow and the center will accommodate about 200 to 250 orphans upon completion.
The orphanage will be the first of its kind in northern Namibia to offer family oriented accommodation, education, health services and social skills development and traditional values.
Among those who attended the launch were Queen Cecilia Elifas, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, ELCIN Bishop Johaness Sindano, Mayor of Ondangwa Naftali Andima, local councillors and other dignitaries.