By William Mbangula
Onambelela
MTC Namibia donated N$60 000 to the HIV/AIDS Hope Youth project of the Development Aid from People to People (DAPP).
The Hope Youth Project is mainly active in Omusati Region. It has 45 clubs of learners at primary and combined school levels. It targets the youth between 15 and 19 years of age. The project started in 1990 and has 16 employees.
According to the project manager, Eufemia Shikongo-Iipinge, MTC has been assisting the project since 2000. Between 2005 and 2007, it donated N$180 000 as well as a double-cab 4×4.
She lauded MTC because it has played a big role in equipping the youth with knowledge and skills which will make them more responsible.
Said Shikongo-Ipinge: “Through the Hope Programme sponsored by the MTC, the youth are learning how to make informed and right decisions for their future and they have become more open to discuss with their peers HIV/AIDS related issues.”
Councillor for Anamulenge, Joseph Kanyanya Aluvilu, praised the cordial relationship between DAPP and its subsidiary projects with the Omusati Regional Council.
Such close cooperation, he said, has made DAPP a household name because of the good work it is doing together with projects under its control, such as Hope and the Total Control of Epidemic (TCE), all fighting against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“I would like to encourage all other donor agencies to follow this good example of MTC to support and join DAPP Hope Project in the fight against HIV/Aids in our country,” Aluvilu said on behalf of the Governor of Omusati Sackey Kayone.
Handing over the cheque, MTC Managing Director Miguel Geraldes urged all parents, teachers, health workers and members of the corporate world to render their support to the communities in need of assistance in order to achieve the government’s goals of Vision 2030.
As part of the MTC Foundation philosophy, the company will continue to invest in the communities across the country with the hope of alleviating some of the social factors facing the nation.
Such assistance towards education and health of the youth is vital to prepare a brighter future for many young people.
“We have entered an era when our youth will become our leaders. In other words, we have to look to our young people for guidance, strength and direction.
“As parents and leaders, we can assure that they are raised in healthy, happy homes and that their needs are met, but what does the future hold for them if we do not teach them the greatest lesson of life, in particular the dangers of HIV/AIDS?”