Hileni Mwandingi

OTJINENE - The Omaheke Governor, Festus Ueitele took this year’s Christmas initiative to Otjinene, where he treated the elderly people and some residents to a lunch and some clothes. Aimed at encouraging the spirit of Ubuntu during the festive season, the charity event attracted a large crowd of residents who had to endure the day’s heat and fill the community hall to its capacity on Wednesday afternoon.

Each year since its inception four years ago, the governor chooses one constituency in the region where the charity drive takes place. The governor and his team would then distribute presents to the residents of that constituency, mostly the less privileged and elderly.

This year, however, due to the economic hardships, the governor’s office did not receive much assistance from the usually supportive sympathisers and thus did not buy a lot of items to give the communities as in the past. “We could not procure many things due to budget cuts, but still decided to come and share the little we have with the residents in the form of a lunch,” said Ueitele.

He said this event should serve as an example to encourage people in constituencies to give and share the little that they have with the less-fortunate. He added that it is a way of appreciating the elders for giving them life and a wish for them to live longer to continue guiding the new generation.

Ueitele called on the Otjinene’s traditional, religious and political leaders to come together and help the constituency to curb the brewing, sale, and consumption of the “Ombike”, which the governor said is a big challenge and it is destroying the lives of people in the constituency. The Governor’s Christmas Charity event was initiated back in 2014 by the current governor, Festus Ueitele and has in the past been hosted in Gobabis, Aminuis, Epukiro and Otjombinde constituencies respectively.