Filling hearts and stomachs

So many Namibian children wake up to home environments riddled with hunger, violence or abuse. This story is especially true for one of Windhoek’s poorest constituencies where many Namibians face abject poverty. Here in the heart of Okahandja Park informal settlement, Green Leaves Primary School, which opened in 2015, is hoping to be a sanctuary of love for children from the area, and if nothing else, provide them with a meal a day, which for many will be the only one they receive.

Striving to provide a safe space for children in the community, the school's motto is ‘Love, Nurture and Grow’. Their feeding program is one of the cornerstones of their success as many of the children attending don’t always have food at home.

Extensive research has shown the link between a child's academic performance and their levels of nutrition, prompting some to call food the most important school supply. What's more, the effects of an absence of childhood nutrition are not only felt during childhood, but have been proven to last a lifetime.

Fortunately, in Namibia, our people are known for their warmth and generosity, this is one of the cornerstones of the success of this great nation. Considering that nation-building is about the unification of the people within the country, it’s not that surprising that when the employees of Debmarine Namibia heard about the food shortages at the Green Leaves Primary School feeding program, they decided to band together to raise funds to sponsor essential food items for this school.

Moved by reports of overcrowding and food shortages at the school, employees decided to supplement the Ministry of Education’s feeding programme by collectively contributing over N$ 15 000 to buy much-needed food items.

This formed part of the Debmarine Namibia 'We Care' initiative and saw employees of Debmarine Namibia donating essential items such as maize meal, tins of fish, macaroni, cooking oil, sugar and soup.

This story is one where kindness and generosity filled hearts as well as stomachs, and through these acts of kindness children are able to focus on learning in their classrooms. Acting Principal of Green Leaves Primary School, Ms. Sofia Haipinge expressed profound gratitude to Debmarine Namibia employees and she stressed the significance of such acts of goodwill, highlighting them as demonstrations of community support and compassion. Ms. Haipinge emphasised the importance of ensuring that students have access to food during break times, noting that it helps prevent them from missing classes due to hunger.

Green Leaves Primary School, with its student population of 1,680 from Grade 1 to Grade 7, stands as one of the most populous schools in Windhoek. Having opened its doors nine years ago, each classroom accommodates 48 children, with approximately 49 teachers employed.

With the nourished light in their eyes, the story of the children of Green Leaves Primary School are an example of how individual people can make a difference when they stand together in the face of hardships, and when their consideration extends beyond themselves.