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Here, to help you, brother

Founder of the Friends against Poverty Group, Marbeline Mwashakale took the lead in helping suffering communities who exist in extreme poverty. (Photograph by Melba Chipepo)

Founder of the Friends against Poverty Group, Marbeline Mwashakale took the lead in helping suffering communities who exist in extreme poverty. (Photograph by Melba Chipepo)

There was much excitement, laughter and cheering as members of the 7de Laan community in Otjomuise received donations recently.
The Friends against Poverty Campaign had a “give what you have handover day” where they presented needy members of the community with plastic hampers filled with clothing and blankets. The event saw many community members receiving donations and most people who received  donations could not hide their excitement.
Marbeline Mwashakele, founder of the group was delighted by the turn-out. She started the group after she saw a story showing Namibians eating food off a dump site, “I could not believe that in a population of about 2 million people, some of our very own, were living like animals and scavenging for food to survive” she said.
Through the Give What You Have initiative, she urges all Namibians, young and old to go through their homes, involve their family and friends, find items that are of no use to them, and give them to the poor and needy, to make a difference in the community.
“This group is not about what government should and should not do. This group is not about meetings, policies, minutes and procedures. This group is about seeing a situation for what it is and about acting. We cannot ignore poverty, we cannot ignore the fact that we have a social responsibility towards our people.” she went on to say.
The members of the community also received cool drinks which were donated by Namibia Breweries Limited.
The initial idea of the group was to help people living off the dump sites in Windhoek, but the group now also focuses on helping needy Namibians.

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