Pinehas Nakaziko
Windhoek-More than 30 vulnerable children at Mother’s Voice Orphanage in Dolam have expressed appreciation for the donation of school materials and non-perishable food items from Patty’s Heart Foundation, which hosted a ‘Back to School Drive’ in Katutura last Saturday.
Pupils received school materials such as book bags, exercise books, pens, pencils, glue sticks and food items such as cornflour, tinned fish, oil, sugar, milk and pasta. The foundation also donated baby food and nappies for the infants at the orphanage.
Nguvitjita Katuuo, a Grade 5 pupil at Theo Katjimune Primary School in Katutura, says the school stationery would help him in his studies. “I am very thankful for this help from the foundation, and I feel very happy to see that someone out there cares about us,” says Katuuo.
Dantage !Gaoseb of Auas Primary School thanked the foundation, saying he is very happy for the donation and hoped it would help him to study hard, pass and buy his own car and a house one day.
The Patty’s Heart Foundation is owned by Nangula Geingos and is a community outreach organisation that aims to honour the legacy of the late Priscilla ‘Auntie Patty’ ‘Meme Niilonga’ Geingos through food provision, clothing drives and other support initiatives.
The foundation’s mandate is to identify the critical needs of existing orphanages and schools serving OVC, senior citizen homes, shelters and many others, and to then assist them by procuring and delivering the resources they require, thereby strengthening their ability to serve their communities.
“Our vision is to expand our services into all 14 regions of the nation; establishing soup kitchens, food trucks and community/library resource centres in order to meet the needs of our people,” says Geingos.
Last Saturday marked the fourth Patty’s Heart Foundation drive with a focus on school supplies in line with the start of the new academic year. “The Back to School Drive is ongoing as we are headed to the northern part of the country within the next two weeks,” she says.