As part of its projects to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the German embassy will support needy families with food parcels in the areas of Gobabis, Witvlei in the Omaheke region and Okahandja in the Otjozondjupa region.
The embassy in a media statement said a total of approximately N$99 600 from the embassy’s micro project fund will be made available as an immediate measure to purchase food packages.
The packages, the embassy said, will include staple foods and will be distributed to the community members by the German Evangelical Lutheran Association of Okahandja-Gobabis (ELCIN - GELC) in cooperation with the Okahandja Community Forum.
According to the embassy, German embassy chargé d’affaires Ellen Gölz visited the community centre in Okahandja last week, where she was welcomed by Pastor Brunotte and Charl Coetzee.
They explained how the distribution of food is coordinated and who the affected families are.
These are her thoughts on the community project carried out by the Evangelical Lutheran Association: “We are glad to be able to support the church and Okahandja Community Forum in their efforts to serve those in need. In times like these, it is particularly important to help each other in the spirit of humanity and Christian charity.”
Pastor Brunotte mentioned: “In this time of the coronavirus crisis, there are many needy people – also those who managed to make a living before – and to alleviate this hardship, at least for some, became a matter close to the heart of the German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran communities of Okahandja and Gobabis.
“Thanks to the support of the German embassy in Windhoek, we were able to support over seventy senior citizens in Gobabis and almost 80 school children in Witvlei with food donations.
“In addition, we were able to make a substantial contribution to the aid campaign by the ORPA (Okahandja Rate Payers Association), which supports people who have recently been in need due to the loss of their income with food parcels. Fifty families receive a food parcel here every week. ”