Gondwana Care Trust Newsletter

"Dream to reach the sky, dream to fly high, dream to swim far, dream to dream and dream even more. Never cease dreaming because dreaming is the start of every beginning."

May - July 2021

Dear friends, sponsors, partners and colleagues

We thank all our partners, who continually trust and support our projects. We cannot do it alone and together we can make a small difference and a positive change in someone’s life. If you want to partner in our projects and help us empower our communities, please contact us: caretrust@gcnam.com

Covid-19 regulations still greatly limit the opportunity for travel and tourism to flourish but the Gondwana Care Trust still aims to support our current projects as long as we can.

Economic consequences of Covid-19 are still affecting most Namibians, with many businesses closing down, and individuals losing their jobs or means of income. Due to the lack of funds this year, the Gondwana Care Trust has very limited resources and it is really challenging to add and support any new projects, besides adding beneficiaries to our MealForTwo Program.

THANK YOU to Capricorn Asset Management for your support and trust in the MealForTwo Project, through you we will be able to sustain the current projects. Thank you Bank Windhoek for renewing your financial support until June, and thank you Global United for your continued support during these challenging times!

We would like to thank Wecke & Voigts Wholesale who has now partnered with Gondwana Care Trust in the MealForTwo Project. Wecke & Voigts Group supplies in bulk and delivers country wide to small businesses, guesthouses, lodges, farmers, and is also open to the public. The group donates N$10 000 monthly in goods towards the MealForTwo Project. Thank you!

MealForTwo is a life saving project for many vulnerable individuals and children living in difficult situations. With the new restrictions in place, more Namibians are in need of a helping hand all over the country.

Please help us distribute more meals!

Donate A MealForTwo

Any contribution makes a difference – you can also donate through our bank account or contact us via email if you can contribute food items.

Thank you!

Bank Windhoek Limited

Gondwana Care Trust

Maerua Mall Branch / 483 872

Chk – 800 818 44 91

These are difficult times for all businesses and we are so grateful for our sponsors, who still contribute and assist us in this life saving program! Any other sponsors willing to assist us with goods, food items or hygienic goods, please do not hesitate to contact us at caretrust@gcnam.com

Gondwana Care Trust MealForTwo Project

January 2021 to June 2021 Impact

In 2021, like minded organizations such as Bank Windhoek, Global United, Capricorn Asset Management, Kercon, Namib Mills, Seapride, and The Wecke & Voigts Group partnered with the Gondwana Care Trust to assist in providing a balanced meal to our community partners. This year, Bank Windhoek renewed their commitment to the project and The Capricorn Group and the Wecke & Voigts Group came on board. These organizations, in conjunction with other partners such as Seapride, Kercon, and Namib Poultry (Namib Mills) have ensured that the MealForTwo Project continues to impact the lives of its beneficiaries in 2021.

Our Impact in the first six months of 2021:

Despite the economic woes that the tourism industry and the country is experiencing, the Gondwana Care Trust persisted to provide much needed food aid to vulnerable communities in 2021. With the help of our partners, the Gondwana Care Trust has provided a calculated total of 117 000 meals to its approximately 3500 individual beneficiaries in the first half of 2021 (January-June 2021).

Since October 2019, when the project was formally started in partnership with Bank Windhoek, we have donated 317 500 meals (~10 000 meals per day).

The meals donated in 2021 include the following staple food items:

1,50 tonne maize meal and oats
1,45 tonne bread flour
1,05 tonne pasta and rice
3,7 tonne fruits and veggies
3,6 tonne meat and chicken

The table below shows staple foods donated monthly as from January 2020 to June 2021:

Lidar Foundation

Katutura, Windhoek

Project Co-ordinator: Ms Serley Khaxas

lidarfoundation@gmail.com

Lidar Foundation is a center in the heart of Katutura where many children find themselves living on the streets and without a responsible adult’s guidance and protection. Serley opened the center to welcome children and teenagers, who find themselves in difficult situations such as under aged pregnancy, abuse, or abandonment. The center organizes numerous workshops for young mothers living in vulnerable conditions, so that they can gain some credentials and find employment.

The center helps the children with a meal during the day, which is either breakfast before they start school, lunch, or an early dinner.

LIDAR has persevered during the pandemic and the center welcomes many children but also young adults pursuing their dreams to improve their future. The center is a safe haven for many young women and provides the right environment to study after school, to have a meal, and to wash their clothes.

Rebecca is one of the beneficiaries. She grew up in a less fortunate situation but she did not let that undermine her dream. Rebecca worked hard and in 2021 she enrolled for her first year of studying Bachelor in Law at UNAM. Rebecca grew up as an orphan and suffered under extreme poverty for many years. Thanks to her grandmother, who heard about Lidar, Rebekka joined the center to finish her high school education in Windhoek and she has been living at the center ever since then.

LIDAR welcomes many other young adults, who want to pursue their dreams. Without the support and donations, many teenagers would find themselves homeless. Among others, Eveline, who used to stay at the center as well, is now in her 3^rd year of Bachelor of Nursing at UNAM and she is staying on the Campus now. Felicity is doing her 4^thyear of Bachelor in Chartered Accounting at UNAM, Loide is doing her 4^th year of Bachelor in Economics at NUST, and Cosima is doing her 3^rd year of Bachelor of Accounting at NUST.

There are so many unbelievable stories of pure resilience and commitment of these young women!

LIDAR is looking for assistance with donations of second hand-clothing and blankets to hand out to the families. They are also looking for any sport clothing, and dancing costumes for their dancing classes held every Friday.

If you wish to contribute, please contact us or Serley directly. Any other donations, such as soaps and hygienic products, are very welcome as well. Lidar is a beneficiary of the MealForTwo Program. Gondwana Care Trust regularly donates books, clothes, toys, and any other items contributing to the welfare of the children and young adults.

Please do not hesitate to contact caretrust@gcnam.com if you want to assist. Please use the reference: LIDAR

Thank you

Donate to Lidar

Back to School Christmas Bag Project

Schools, hostels, orphanages and OVC Centers send us their lists by September / October every year.

The list must include:

Name of the child, gender, age, grade/year, and any special needs so that we can personalize each bag. We have a few schools for children with special needs and it is important to be aware of these so that we can pack the right toys and stationery kits for the children.

For more information on the Back to School Christmas bag, please read our May Newsletter.

The Gondwana Care Trust has limited funds and the Back to School Project has suffered greatly under the impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry. The Christmas bags are sold in all of the Gondwana Collection lodge curio shops in order to raise funds towards the project.

Many students have not returned to school due to the lack of funds in 2021, so more than ever, in order to encourage children to visit schools and to pursue their education, we would like to distribute as many bags as we can at the end of this year.

We distributed 2378 bags in 2019 and we distributed 2554 bags in 2020! Please help us match or distribute even more bags in 2021.

We would love to distribute as many bags in 2021 as possible.

Please donate a bag, using the reference XMAS BAG.

THANK YOU!

Gift A School Bag this Christmas

Thank you to everyone, who has bought a Christmas bag so far.

Thank you to Mr Stephen Hans and Ms Syrek Anja, who sponsored 20 bags. Thank you to PSJ for your support towards 750 bags!

Thank you also to the following sponsors:

Mr Stuart Matthew (48 bags)

Mr Hans Peter Thoma (4 bags)

Mr Jack Gaume (5 bags)

Journaways (87 bags)

Visser Family (5 bags)

Hurter Family (1 bag)

Mr & Mrs Gerda and Oskar Kaufmann-Kaelin (40 Bags)

We cannot thank you enough! Each bag makes a difference!

Grace Organization

Project co-ordinator: Ms Riana Maasdorp

Cell: +264 81 122 7880

Email: Riana.Maasdorp(at)rmb.com.na

COVID CARE DRIVE - 12 JUNE 2021

KOBOS, KLEIN-AUB, RIETOOG AND SCHLIP

The Grace Project is a non-profit, community-based project that reaches out to the marginalized people in different communities throughout Namibia. It contributes towards these people’s basic livelihoods, providing them with necessities such as food, clothes, blankets, etc. The project also attends to their psycho-social needs by providing social welfare services such as counseling and referrals to individuals in need. The Grace Project also distributes food packages to the families on a monthly basis, especially to pensioners. Currently, about 170 households, which have been identified by board members as well as people in the community, benefit from this aid on an ongoing basis.

Gondwana Care Tust was once again able to assist the Grace Organization in the Covid Care Drive through the MealForTwo Program. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the number of volunteers were limited but nevertheless a total of 250 households were served with a small grocery hamper (maize flower, bread flower, fish, cooking oil and soya mince).

Grace Organization also distributed face masks, as well as hand sanitizers to the community. The kids were treated with a candy package which warmed their hearts tremendously.

THANK YOU to all our sponsors who enable us to reach out to so many!

Khaibasen Center

Project coordinator: Ms Paulina Kajandeka

081 216 29 28

pkujandeka@gmail.com

Khaibasen is situated in Okahandja and Paulina runs a soup kitchen along with a pre-school. She also provides a meal to the children living at the dumpsite. Khaibasen usually feeds about 100 children everyday.

This number dropped to about 78 in order to follow the strict Covid-19 regulations. The children have to wash and sanitize their hands at the entrance and must wear a mask.

Global United FC has provided their full assistance towards Khaibasen since 2019. Global United built the new soup kitchen with a new infrastructure, as well as the shading between and in front of the pre-school building. Global United will be providing more masks so that the children, who were not able to get a meal before, are now able to come into the yard and receive a meal.

Thanks to Global United, Khaibasen is able to purchase the staples needed for meals. Gondwana Care Trust assists with the meat and other products, thanks to the MealForTwo Project.

Global United is also busy with the creation of a vegetable garden so that Paulina can harvest fresh vegetables for her soup kitchen.

Nau Aib Old Age Home – Okahandja

Mr Willie Theron

081 605 66215

annie.t@iway.na

Nau Aib Old Age home is situated in Okahandja. Once a week, Ms Carol volunteers to cook a warm meal for the residents so that they can socialize in the dining area while waiting for their meal. Pastor Theron delivers groceries to the Nau Aib Old Age Home on a weekly basis so that the residents receive a warm meal. Nau Aib is part of the MealForTwo Program.

We are looking for blankets and warm clothes for the residents.

There are 44 residents at Nau Aib at the moment. The residents are suffering from the pandemic and do not have much, any extra help is appreciated, as they are isolating and trying to stay safe.

If you can assist us with re-usable containers for the safe delivery of meals to our residents, please contact Dgini caretrust@gcnam.com THANK YOU!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to assist Nau Aib Old Age Home.

Pastor Theron, through Heal The Land Organization, also distributes fresh produce, milk, and food parcels to families in need in the Okahandja district. Heal The Land is part of MealForTwo.

Light of Hope

This organization assists an average of 90 children, once a week, by providing them with a safe place to have a bath and to change their clothing when possible. First care and counseling is provided during the day.

The children receive clothes, a bath, and first aid care. Light of Hope mostly looks after children living in very extreme conditions. The volunteers also talk to the teenagers and give them advice on how to get suitable assistance.

PAUKENI Kindergarten – Rundu

Thanks to Ms Nicolene and her team, the children of Paukeni Kindergarten near Rundu were blessed with the chance to visit Hakusembe River Lodge.

During a visit to the lodge, the children were able to enjoy a cruise on the Okavango River. Cake and refreshments were also served. This visit is a once in a lifetime experience for many children, and we are grateful for the team who took the time to look after the children.

Paukeni Kindergartens' building was sponsored by the Gondwana Care Trust so that children are able to attend pre-school and stay close to their families. The Hakusembe River Lodge Team built and donated tables to the kindergarten to allow children to sit at their own desks during class. Thank you for your care and dedication towards the children of the Hakusembe community!

Paukeni Kindergarten is also a beneficiary of the Back to School Christmas Bag Project.

THANK YOU FOR READING OUR NEWSLETTER, PLEASE SHARE IF YOU CAN.

Please find a list of our community partners below, who receive assistance through the MealForTwo Program:

Heal the Land, Khaibasen, Light of Hope, Nau Aib Old Age Home:

160+ children, 44 Adults

These three organizations run in Okahandja are connected to a local church. They provide cooked meals to vulnerable and homeless kids in Okahandja. They are also affiliated with the Nau Aib Old Age Home in Okahandja and provide cooked meals to the elderly in the old age home.

Dagbreek Special School:

26 Children, 7 Adults

Operates in Windhoek and provides education, food, and shelter to kids with disabilities.

Mammadu Trust:

60 Children

Operates in Otjomuise, Windhoek, and provides food and education to orphaned and vulnerable children in the community.

Bridge of Hope:

140 Children

Operates in Katutura, Windhoek, providing food parcels and cooked meals to vulnerable children in those communities.

Khomas Homeless Development Trust:

+-80 Adults and 20 Kids

Operates in Khomasdal and Katutura, Windhoek, providing cooked meals to homeless people in those communities.

Senior Park:

160 residents

Old Age home in Pioneerspark, Windhoek.

MealForTwo donations go to the kitchen and to the elderly, who need food assistance.

Lidar Foundation:

250 Children and 100 Adults

Provides food, youth empowerment, and educational activities to orphaned and vulnerable girls in Katutura.

Hope Village:

88 Children

Provides a loving home and food to orphans and abandoned children living with HIV and other debilitating illnesses. Operates in Katutura, Windhoek.

PAY Center:

120 Children

Operates in Katutura, Windhoek.

Provides nutritious meals, education, and physical activity programmes to kids coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Huis Maerua:

24 Children

Operates in Windhoek. Houses and feeds children with social welfare troubled backgrounds.

Elshaddai Caring and Feeding:

120 Children and 30 Adults

Operates in Keetmanshoop. Provides nutritious meals to kids and adults coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Dorcas Soup Kitchen:

100 children and 20 adults

Operates in Keetmanshoop. Provides nutritious meals to kids coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Geduld Primary School and Immanuel Hostel:

200 children

Operates in Grunau. Provides education, shelter, and food to kids from the Grunau and surrounding area.

Witkrans Primary School:

162 children and 8 adults

Provide nutritious meals for underprivileged children from the Witkrans area.

Natascha Pre-Primary School & Day Care:

46 children

Operates in Okuryangava, Windhoek, and provides food and care to vulnerable children from the community.

Grace Project:

180 families

Operates in Khomasdal, Windhoek. Distributes food parcels to vulnerable families, especially pensioners.

Proud Himba:

Based in Epupa, the project was founded in 2007 to extend help to the school children of the area. It not only looks after 30 children on a regular basis but also assists schools and the orphan feeding program.

MAD (Make a Difference Charity):

28 families

Based in Tsumeb, MAD looks after 28 families on a regular basis, which mostly consist of disabled youth and elderly, visually impaired or sickly elderly from the Kuvukiland settlement.

Men on the Side of the Road:

Operates in Windhoek and Swakopmund.

MSR assists job seekers in acquiring skills to assist them in finding employment. The Gondwana Care Trust assists MSR to provide food parcels to active members of the organization who attend regular (monthly) held community meetings geared towards sharing information on possible jobs or training and any other information that they need.

Spitzkoppe Community:

The indigenous communities of the Spitzkoppe area are largely reliant on tourism in the Spitzkoppe area for income. Since the pandemic, these communities had no income or means for sustenance. The Gondwana Care Trust assists 56 families with food parcels.

Twaloloka Community:

Since the communities of Twaloloka lost their homes to the fires in the community, the Gondwana Care Trust, together with other like minded organizations and soup kitchens, assisted the communities with food.

Please contact Dgini for further information on how to donate caretrust@gcnam.com

Thank you to all you wonderful individuals for your contributions. Thank you! If you want to contribute with a cash donation, please find our banking details below. Please add your name / Food relief / Xmas Bag as a reference for your contribution.

Bank Windhoek Limited
Gondwana Care Trust
Maerua Mall Branch / 483 872
Chk – 800 818 44 91

We have a few more projects lined up. Please contact the Care Trust if you would like to have more information.

We cannot thank you enough for your support!

Gondwana Care Trust
caretrust@gcnam.com
+264 81 242 59 00