Martin Endjala
The Board Chairperson of Omake Charity Organisation Eddy Kgobetsi has announced that as part of its annual projects in the Otjozondjupa region, they are envisaging putting up a state welfare disability center for children and elders with special needs in the region.
This, he said is because of the harsh conditions in which people living with disabilities find themselves in. He has since called on stakeholders to join hands for the betterment of vulnerable people in the community.
He says they are hoping to get a piece of land to set up the envisaged state welfare disability center, with the assistance of relevant ministries.
The Omake Charity in collaboration With the First National Bank (FNB), B2Gold and Cenored Namibia donated hampers to vulnerable communities in the region on 22 December last year.
Children living with the cerebral palsy disorder under the care of caregivers were amongst the recipients.
Cerebral palsy is a condition that causes motor disability in children, with permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture. The condition causes activity limitations, attributed by non-progressive disturbances that occurred in developing foetal or infant brain.
Omake Charity is a non organization established in 2018, and for the second year running the organization has reached out to persons with special needs.
According to Kgobetsi, the organization carries out five projects yearly, of which its current one is the Back to school drive, were stationaries, jerseys and school uniforms are donated to communities in need with the help of various stakeholders.
They also do the Winter drive and round table projects where they stand at street corners with cans, seeking donations from motorists. He also added that they do the Fun-Run cycling, which takes place in September as a way of promoting a healthy culture.
Towards the end of the year, the organization also identifies elders, hospitals, and set up fun raising activities in order to raise funds.
Apart from donations, the organization via its projects, also wants to create projects that will enable caregivers to self sustain themselves by selling products produced from gardens, baking fat cakes, and not to only relay on donations.
“Many of these parents, guardians and caregivers left their jobs to look after these children, so it’s only fitting that we equip them with the means to self-sustain themselves,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cenored Communications Officer Chali Matengu informed the Windhoek Observer in an interview that the donation is part of its Corporate responsibility under its Corporate account which is under his supervision and that of the office of the CEO.
Matengu said that their involvement comes after learning that during festive seasons, many organizations donate hampers but people with special needs are often left out.
“After we picked up that people with special needs are usually left out, we reached out to a doctor at the Otjiwarongo state hospital were I was informed that about 50 persons with special needs were being looked after and decided to do something and collaborated with Omake Charity organization who have been already helping out, and I wanted to meet them and hear their challenges”, Matengu emphasized.
This is the first time that the company is doing this, and through its corporate sponsorship income initiative.
They are looking to projects that will help the community to generate income to cater for their needs, given that most of the caregivers are unemployed.
According to European data, the average frequency of cerebral palsy is 2.08 per 1000 live births, particularly in children born with a body weight below 1500 gram, as compared to those born with body weight of 2500 gram.
The condition is commonly associated with epilepsy in particularly drug-resistance epilepsy but also with mental retardations, visual and hearing impairment as well as feeding and behavioral disorder.
