2008-04-11Staff Report 2 "By Anna Ingwafa OSHAKATI Bank Windhoek donated water cans and bottles valued at N$100 000 to the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) this week. The items will be used for the distribution of potable water to thousands of people recently displaced by floods in the northern regions. The donation follows discussions between Bank Windhoek, the Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila and the Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) where it was decided flood victims need fresh water and water canisters to get clean water. The canisters would be filled with drinking water by the EMU, while the Red Cross will be tasked with the distribution of the filled cans. Bank Windhoek decided to form a partnership with PolyOak and JJC Transport to address the need. According to Regional Executive Manager Wosman Hamukonda, some 2500 cans and 10 000 water bottles provided by PolyOak to Windhoek at favourable prices were transported to the flood affected area by JJC Transport. JJC Transport agreed to sponsor one trip to Oshakati, while Bank Windhoek will pay for the second trip. ""The 10 000 500ml water bottles will be distributed amongst school children, which will enable them to take clean water,"" said Hamukonda. Namdeb, DeBeers Marine and Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC) recently handed over non-food items worth N$205 000 meant for flood victims to the EMU at Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto and Omusati. The items comprised of mattresses, mosquito nets and water purification tablets. Chief Executive Officer of Namibia Diamond Trading Company Shihaleni Ndjamba on behalf of the group said the companies are not operating in isolation and that the donation is part of their social responsibility. The group, which is accompanied by Namdeb Chief Executive Officer Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi and some officials from Namdeb, came to the north to assess the flood situation. Zaamwani-Kamwi said after seeing the impact of the floods, her company would encourage employees to volunteer for work in the north and more especially as about 50 percent of Namdeb employees hail from these regions. The group has visited Outapi in Omusati, Engela and Oshikango in Helao Nafidi in Ohangwena and Oshakati in Oshana. At the same occasion the University of Namibia extended a helping hand by donating 150 blankets, 100 mosquito nets and four bags of clothes equally for both three affected regions. SRC President Tango Kandjamba said the collection was made by Unam students from Ogongo, Oshakati Northern Campus, Neudamm and the main campus in Windhoek. The Namibia Disaster Fund administered by First National Bank also donated goods worth N$30 000. Universal Church in Oshakati donated goods to flood victims. Both groups handed over their donations to the national coordinator: flood management unit in the northern regions, Erastus Negonga. " 2008-04-11Staff Report 2
