Bank Windhoek commits towards education
By Confidente Reporter
THROUGH its Social Investment Fund (SIF), over the past three months, Bank Windhoek has donated over N$750 000 towards community development projects focusing on education, nutrition and food security, and health.
“As a connector of positive change, Bank Windhoek believes in investing in the communities in which it operates.
The objective is to create sustainable value and impact in supporting communities, which contributes towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Harambee Prosperity Plan,” said Bank Windhoek executive officer of marketing and corporate communications, Jacquiline Pack.
The Bank Windhoek Social Investment Fund is a catalyst for Namibian organisations. Its primary function is to help organisations achieve their social change purpose by investing in innovative and sustainable projects for the communities, such as the projects listed below:
Children in the Wilderness: This is a non-profit organisation supported by ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris, which aims to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education for children in Africa.
Bank Windhoek, in partnership with Children in the Wilderness, assisted the Otjinungua School in the Maurienfluss Conservancy of the Kunene Region to procure a solar water pump that pumps water from the Kunene River to the school and its garden. The Bank has also supported Children in the Wilderness with funding to establish a Mobile Clinic in the Marienfluss Conservancy, where access to essential health facilities for an estimated 400 people is located over 200 kilometres away.
Women at Work Training Centre: As a women empowerment organisation, the Training Centre focuses on up skilling young Namibian women who have not completed their formal education but want to develop their physical, mental and moral strength to attain a life beyond their current socio-economic status.
The Women at Work Centre offers the following courses: cooking, waitressing, hospitality, dressmaking, and childhood and development care.
Dagbreek School for Urban Farm Project: Bank Windhoek has committed to supporting the educational institution’s retail outlet, the Urban Farm Project initiative. As part of the project’s educational programme, various aspects of farming have been implemented, such as a garden that provides practical lessons for learners and produces vegetables for sale to generate an income.
Outjo Town Council Harambee Project: Under its Covid-19 Support Fund, the Bank has partnered with the Outjo Town Council’s feeding scheme programme as part of its mandate to take care of resident’s well-being under the Council’s Harambee Project. The project serves Outjo’s vulnerable communities.
“As a wholly-owned Namibian financial institution, Bank Windhoek is rooted in uplifting the living standards of the communities in which it operates sustainably.
In 2019, the bank contributed over N$20 million in support towards Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in Namibia,” concluded Pack.