On Friday, April 12, the newly established Capricorn Group NeXtGen Board supported the Capricorn Group’s brand promise of being Connectors of Positive Change by sowing positively into the lives of young children at the Family of Hope School in Havana, Katutura. The board, made up of 12 millennials, dedicated their Friday morning to upgrade the garden, plant new vegetables and update and organise the toy library at the centre. 

“I am proud of my NextGen Board members for this initiative,” said James Chapman, Chairperson of the NextGen Board and CFO of Bank Windhoek. “We are convinced that initiatives such as these foster the well-being of our country and bring about positive change. Because of this, we are aligned to invest, support and uplift the communities in which we operate. Thank you to the Family of Hope School for allowing us to become part of their community,” Chapman said.

The Family of Hope centre is a cornerstone in their community. The garden, being an integral part as it forms part of the feeding scheme of the centre, became a focal point for restorative work. The vegetables grown in the garden are used to prepare meals for 260 children that come to the centre every weekday for a meal. For many that is their only meal for the day. The toys in the toy library are used by psychologists who come in weekly for their sessions with the children.

The children were thrilled to see their school transformed and gave a helping hand during the initiative, which was made possible through Imago Dei, a third-party service provider, modelling the future of aid coordination through establishing a relationship of trust between donors including Capricorn Group, and other welfare organisations.

“It was a privilege to be able to change the lives of others with such a small gesture. What touched me was the kids’ smiles when we got our hands dirty and worked together to improve the environment for them. I have a lot of respect for how they operate and use every opportunity to give back to the community,” said Marizelle Pienaar, NeXtGen Board member. 
The objective of the Capricorn Group NeXtGen Board is to serve as a formal body where millennials and generation Z’s (GenZ’s) will engage with the group’s executive management and give inputs that lead to creating an organisation for the future. The newly established board proved that every helping hand can make a difference and that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves when we ignite positive change in the lives of our future leaders. The group is indeed excited to see the future developments that these dozen millennials have up their sleeves.