Staff reporter
Windhoek-An Okuryangava orphanage is benefiting from the generosity of local hotel that donates its excess food to the organisation. The excess food is mainly from the uneaten food that was prepared in excess.
The Children’s Life Change Centre has 35 children residing in Okuryangava and feeds an additional 33 vulnerable children, who come in for their daily meals. The centre gets food about three times a week from the newly opened Town Lodge Windhoek Hotel, situated in Kleine Kuppe.
Although it was founder of the centre Frieda Nambuli, who approached the hotel for assistance, hotel manager Casper Marè said it was his intention to find an orphanage to help. Marè did the same in Botswana with ChildLine, where they also donate excess food to a charity for the needy.
The hotel supplies staff meals every day, but there is often food left over. Marè said they would have given this food to their staff, but they already provide staff meals, or otherwise they would have thrown the food away.
“It makes me feels good to give what is left over. We obviously package it properly and write a date on it and freeze it until they (centre) come collect it every second or third day,” remarked Marè. He said the hotel ensures the food is edible and has not passed its sell-by date.
Marè, who has exciting ideas for the orphanage, said they would in future donate rejected linen and towels among other assistance they plan on offering.
“We have visitors who clean their shoes with towels and there is a stain that we can’t get rid of and that is the type of things we donate. The donation will include half-used toilet rolls and soap. He said they would train people at the orphanage to make new bars of soap with the half-used bars of soap.
“We don’t do financial contributions. People always think donations are about money, but it’s about your time and your effort,” Marè remarked.
Frieda and her husband Wilbard Nambuli were invited to the opening of the hotel recently. On the sidelines they expressed sincere gratitude to Marè for the assistance.
“The contribution of the hotel is helping us a lot, especially with food for children to take to school. The children are happy with whatever they get and they are not picky. They enjoy the sausages very much and feel like they are in heaven,” said a laughing Frieda.