Walvis Bay
Merlus Group of Companies has donated N$600 000 to the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare.
The donation was handed to Bishop Zephania Kameeta and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, I-Ben Nashandi, on behalf of the group by Marlene Kaempffer on Monday at Walvis Bay.
The Merlus group consists of 10 fishing companies – Oryx Fisheries, Helgoland Fishing, Ehanga Holdings, Ocean Gate Investments, Osona Fishing, Kalapuse General Dealers, Noordburg Seafood Processors, Demersal Fishing, Oviwana Fishing and Nexus Fishing.
According to Kaempffer the group annually allocates significant funds to the local educational sector, as well as to a feeding project focused on underprivileged children.
“Our principles and values constitute the basis of responsible stakeholder relations. In fulfilling our corporate obligations we are not only orientated towards fishing and processing activities but additionally, through the Namibian fishing and development trust, focussed on social responsibility,” she explained.
Nashandi upon receiving the donation on behalf of the ministry expressed his sincere appreciation towards the group.
“We are indeed pleased to receive this donation that will no doubt complement our efforts to eradicate poverty and our operations under the food bank. We are hard at work to eliminate hunger and ensure that all are equally fed,” Nashandi said. He added that under the food bank the ministry will set up street committees that comprise of unemployed youth to identify needy people to be given food parcels on a monthly basis.
“We have a pilot programme currently ongoing in Windhoek and through the programme we have detected over 40 000 severely vulnerable families. Therefore, your donation is well appreciated as it contributes to the aims and objectives for which our ministry was established. In fact, your example must be emulated by others in the private sector,” said Nashandi.