Many people usually celebrate their birthdays with parties with loved ones, but Shirley Haukongo continues to devote herself to charitable events with strangers in celebration of her birthday.
Haukongo says she appreciates turning a year older every year and through her November Charity Project, plans different themed events for every Saturday of her birthday month – November.
The year 2021 had many at their worst, but Haukongo and her team made up of family and friends pulled off an eventful and impactful November by hosting several events under the theme ‘Awareness and Empowerment’.
“Our objective was to create networking and provide information about different organisations that can be of help in the different difficulties of life, empower individuals by providing job opportunities, and ensure sustainability and consistency in bettering different communities,” she shared with Youth Corner.
The 28-year-old Namibia University of Science and Technology student intends communities to work together in uplifting each other by having them participate in projects and in turn, help the country become developed at large.
One of her events focussed on disability awareness, and the gathering which was hosted at the disability council in Okuryangava, attracted about 100 people, including 20 children.
On this day, they had a presentation from the chairperson of the National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia, which is the umbrella body of all 11 organisations for persons with disabilities, as well as another speaker from Site by Site, which is a school for children with disabilities.
“The main purpose was to create awareness and information that will link service providers to persons with disabilities,” highlighted Haukongo.
Through this event, they identified a mother who could not return to work, as there was no one who could take care of her disabled son. The son was involved in an accident and now has a special condition called Van der Knaap disease, and he can only consume Ensure nutrition powder milk through a pipe.
“We are now trying to raise funds to an amount of N$2 500 to get her a bale of clothes that she can sell, so that she can sustain the milk costs for her son who is now disabled.”
Another event centred on cancer awareness, and Haukongo and friends visited the children’s cancer ward at the Windhoek Central Hospital. About 25 children were there and they received gifts. Fifteen more packages were left with nurses in case more children are admitted to the ward. “We did an assessment interview with the nurse on duty to find out what the children lack most, and she identified that they need more extra-mural activities and toys,” she said.
The group also had a community drive-through at four different informal settlements in the order of Havana (close to Brand Iyambo Primary School), Hakahana (Eehambo dha Nehale), Babylon, Fidel Castro and Kilimanjaro.
“We donated over 100 items of clothing and shoes at each stop. The clothes were arranged to accommodate 50 adults and 50 children. We also made small food parcels to accommodate more people, and we managed to distribute 20 food parcels to Babylon households, who depend on garbage from the municipality truck at a dumping site in the area,” added Haukongo.
They have since identified a child allegedly being abused by his parents. “We linked the case to the right service providers (women and child protection networks) and now the case is currently under investigation.”
Furthermore, the team identified a household of 12 (wife, husband and 10 children) in Kilimanjaro. The man is disabled, the wife is unemployed and they only depend on N$750 which they get from the government, while generous neighbours sometimes give them food.
“We donated a stroller, clothes and crib to their 6-month-old baby. We also took down their contact number in case we receive donations so that we can donate food parcels to the family,” shared Haukongo.