As a way of giving back to the less fortunate community Mefuta Enterprise (Pty) Ltd donated office chairs to Eluwa Resource School’s Hearing Impaired section.

The donation of 22 new chairs worth a combined value of N$$40 000 was handed over today at the Ongwediva-based school of children with special needs.

Mr Abner Nangombe, the HoD of the school’s Hearing Impaired section, welcomed Mefuta Enterprise and thanked the entrepreneurs for their gesture of giving to the less fortunate.

“We feel blessed to have you here this morning. What you have done for us, we have no words to express our gratitude,” Nangombe said. “What you have done has touched the bottoms of our hearts.”

Chairman of Mefuta Enterprise, Mr Silas Iipumbu, said that Mefuta is a Namibian company owned by eight previously disadvantaged Namibians with the main objective of investing in the fishing industry.

“Mefuta is a corporate entity with a commitment to corporate social responsibility to our nation,” Iipumbu said.

“In this regard Mefuta believes that education is the greatest equalizer and access to high quality schools can level the playing field for disadvantaged children. Giving children the chance to go to school will open more and better opportunities for them in the future and provide for them opportunities to escape the cycle of poverty.”

Iipumbu stated that Mefuta has centred its corporate social responsibility efforts around education.

“Mefuta utilized proceeds from our Hake quota to help uplift schools in different disadvantaged and marginalized communities from different regions.

“In this process we managed to target schools from far northern regions in Namibia, namely Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Oshana and Kunene.

“For this year, the children with special needs, particularly hearing and speech impairment were the target audience hence why Mefuta reached out to Eluwa Resource School. Mefuta pledged and donated chairs for the teachers of Eluwa with a combined value of N$40, 000.”

Iipumbu said that the purpose of the donation is to assist the teachers and staff to deliver quality learning at the school.

“Teachers play an extremely vital role in the educational value chain and it is important that we assist and support them where we can in ensuring they deliver quality learning experience at the school.”

The important but low profile event was witnessed by Mr Lukas Tangi Dama, the vice-chairman of Mefuta Enterprise and Mr Festus Iipumbu, the director of operations at Mefuta Enterprise, while on the school side Mrs Agnes Aipinge served as the director of ceremonies, with Ms Panduleni Aron and Ms Hileni Kaluhoni being the sign language interpreters.

But first it was Mrs Shagwana Shingenge who opened the event with a prayer, and then in the end Mrs Vera Ashipala gave a vote of thanks.

In the photo: In the middle is Mr Silas Iipumbu, on the extreme right is Mr Abner Nangombe, with some of the learners of Eluwa Resource School of Hearing Impaired holding some of the donated chairs.