The Rob Youth Foundation (RYF) will embark on a nationwide drive geared towards empowering learners with special needs inclusive learners from schools for the deaf, intellectually impaired, and learning problems in the country, by supplying them with essentials such as toiletries, food hampers, and sanitary pads.
When learners return to school in July, the Foundation seeks to play a meaningful role in moulding the future of the Namibian child through the provision of much-needed toiletries, food, and sanitary wear as well as the knowledge that begins with self-assessment.
Rob Youth Foundation will also use this platform to speak to the learners on career paths, mental health, teenage pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, and other issues facing the Namibian child.
Managing Director of Rob Youth Foundation Ms Fransina Akuunda said, “the foundation will start with the learners with special needs across all the 14 regions of Namibia.”
She emphasized that catering to learners with special needs is important and highlighted that children living with disabilities require as much attention as any other child.
Said Akuunda: “We have received a list of 3,541 learners with special needs from the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture and through our dedicated partners, we have prepared more than 1,829 hampers.”
Shedding light on the initiative, founder of RYF Mr Robert Maseka said it was a culmination of hard work, an immense dedication by good citizens, and a desire to uplift society as a whole.
The Foundation has partnered up with Wutow Trading as the main sponsor, while Charitree facilitates the donations. “Our target as a foundation is the youth. We have that mandate to fulfill, and we aim to address social and economic challenges which the youth are facing in the country, such as poverty, unemployment teenage pregnancy, and the lack of sanitary pads for our girl child,” said Maseka.
“We would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture who came on board to provide storage facility and transportation to transport the donations from our donor’s warehouse to the storage facility for donation preparation and from Windhoek to all the 14 regions of the country.
“We also would like to thank the Ministry of Sport, Youth, and National Services who also avail transport to our team in the entire 14 regions to be able to go to the schools to hand over these donations to the learners.
“Our team will form part of the stakeholders with the team from the Ministry of education, Arts and Culture and the teachers during the donation’s handovers to the learners.”
Mr Festus Ekandjo who handles the logistics of the Foundation called for support from corporates.
“Wutow Trading is a stellar example of what giving back to the community entails. We call upon any businessmen and women out there that wish to join us by assisting in any way they can to this project,” Ekandjo said.
In the photo: Ms Fransina Akuunda looking at the donated basic necessities.
