Happydu unhappy over lack of progress on land application
By Rosalia David
AFTER receiving a deadline from their main sponsor, Happydu Onlus in Italy to acquire land by the beginning of October lest the sponsors stop supporting their work, Happydu Village, a non-profit organisation that supports vulnerable children and teenagers has blamed the City of Windhoek for failing to avail affordable land.
Happydu Village’s treasurer, Daniela Dallera recently said the organisation was on the verge of losing their main sponsor as the City of Windhoek continued to ignore their request, despite “promises made” by Windhoek Major Muesee Kazapua to assist NGO’s in the country.
“Our sponsors have given us a deadline because they are concerned about the organisation not having land. They need good reasons why they should continue investing their money in us. We genuinely just care about assisting the vulnerable Namibian children and parents,” she explained.
She complained that City officials have been sending her back and forth after the NGO applied for land in 2016 and also submitted an application to Swakopmund Municipality.
“We are renting a place in Soweto from a church, but it is very inconvenient because we are unable to expand the place to build facilities because it is not our land and it is not big enough” Dallera noted.
The association‘s main objective is to improve the quality of life of children, mainly orphans and adolescents and single young mothers who live in precarious conditions. Through the association they are guaranteed a good level of education, health support and basic needs.
Happydu also assists Namibian vulnerable children through sport activities and has helped more than 700 children since 2010.
“We spent up to N$14million in the last nine years and employ up to seven people. We really don’t want free land but a cheap one. We just want to help the Namibian people, nothing more. We left our jobs in Italy just to come do good deeds in this country,” said the President of Happydu Village Andrea Di Gesualdo.
Speaking to Confidente, Kazapua firmly denied the allegation by Happydu Village that he had promised to donate land to the charity organization, but said he had only made a general comment about the need to recognise charity organisations.
He further urged Happydu Village organisers to reach out to him rather than run to the media before getting clear information on procedures to follow on land issues.
Although the article written by Confidente in 2017 noted that the Mayor promised to donate land, Dallera clarified that Happydu does not want free land but rather affordable land to be able to assist the vulnerable children of Namibia.
In conclusion, Di Gesualdo said, “It is a huge pleasure for us to genuinely assist the Namibian people and our only hope is to get an opportunity to continue blessing those in need of a helping hand.”