about old mutual news handover of food parcels

      Statement by Ndangi Katoma, Executive: Marketing, Communciation and Customer Strategy, Old Mutual at the handover of food parcels in the Khomas region.

      Director of the Program, Ms Manny Kandjii, Hon. Dr. Ester Muinjangue, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services; Luitenant-Colonel, Josephine Nghishoongele; Members of the Media; Ladies and Gentlemen.

      Good morning to you all. Thank you very much for joining us here at the handover of our first consignment of food parcels to the Psychosocial Support Response Team under the National Health Emergency Management Committee that is spearheaded by the COVID-19 lead Ministry, the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

      Let me just give a brief context on why we are having this short but very important get-together this morning while observing necessary social distancing protocol required from all of us:

      On Tuesday, 31 March 2020, exactly 8 days ago, Old Mutual pledged to donate N$5 million (Five Million Namibia Dollars) towards the nation-wide efforts to help address some of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

      We identified specific areas of financial support in terms of how the N$5 million is allocated. N$1 million of the N$5 million is set aside for provision of food to the poor and vulnerable communities across all the 14 regions of our country.

      Today, we are honouring our commitment to provide food supplies to the poor and the vulnerable communities – starting in the Khomas region.

      In order to ensure that the N$1 million worth of basic supplies equitably benefit our communities across the 14 regions, we have worked out a proportional budget allocation for each region, based on the latest national population figures. For Khomas region which receive the biggest share, this translate to N$208 000 worth of food supplies.

      Today therefore, we are here to witness the delivery of food supplies for identified vulnerable people in Khomas region to the value of N$208 029.80. The food supply delivery comprises of dried foods that will be distributed to about 400 homeless individuals and families in total, who have recently been given temporary shelter at the Teacher’s Resource Centre in Katutura and the Khomasdal stadium for the duration of the lockdown period.

      At the same time, we will continue to conduct community needs assessments in consultation with the lead Ministry’s National Health Emergency Management Committee as our key partner, following the commencement of our roll-out plan to each region in the coming days.

      As a caring and responsible Business, it warms our hearts to know that we can make a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens. But we remain alert to the fact that we can only make a big difference when many actors make contribution to this human cause and we believe that our contribution provide such inspiration to others.

      We are also busy rolling out the rest of the committed donation. To that effect, we are working with the Ministry’s assigned lead agency and we are currently in the final process of procuring machinery that will expand the COVID-19 testing capacity and for which we have assigned N$2,7 million.

      We want to execute this project speedily. We want to ensure that this support benefit our people in need and we will keep the public informed of implementation progress and new developments as we move forward.

      I thank you.