ONGWEDIVA – The Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) has been providing meals to needy, vulnerable children in Opuwo since August.
NRCS regional manager for Kunene that caters for Opuwo, Kakarandua Mutambo says two soup kitchens were established to reduce malnutrition cases in the region.
Although the primary beneficiaries are children under the age of five, the programme caters for over 300 people among them adults.
“Most of the beneficiaries at the two centres are children who do not attend school and adults who come to Opuwo in search of small jobs, who end up selling firewood in return for a small income that does not sustain their families. The programme also feeds Angolan nationals who either came to Namibia to get medical help or those who left Angola because of drought as well as malnutritioned children who are referred to the centres by the Ministry of Health and Social Services,” he said.
NRCS currently runs two soup kitchens in the region with a third one to be opened soon. Apart from the daily lunch that is served between 11h00-1300 daily, there are some households that are provided with food to cook for themselves at home.
There are also cases where certain beneficiaries are provided with three meals per day when NRCS officials deem it fit.
The NRCS is however experiencing difficulties as children do not show up for their daily meal because their parents who are supposed to escort them have gone to collect firewood in return for a little income.
Despite these challenges, Matumbo is happy with the progress of the soup kitchen to feed hordes of hungry children.
By Nuusita Ashipala