New hope for shack dwellers

Through the ongoing Buy-a-Brick fundraising project, Standard Bank handed over a total of N$1.4-million to the bank’s Corporate Social Investment beneficiaries, the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, who subsequently began construction on 40 new houses for its members in Rehoboth last year.

According to Standard Bank’s Acting Head of Marketing, Sigrid Tjijorokisa so far 17 houses have been completed and the remaining houses are expected to be done by March this year.

On Thursday the Bank, cemented their new found relations with Gold Paralympian winner, Ananias Shikongo, when he inked an agreement with the Bank to help raise awareness on the bank’s Buy-A-Brick initiative.

“It is in this context that we are signing a contract with Mr Shikongo to partner with us in raising awareness about the Standard Bank Buy a Brick initiative through various marketing activations over a one year period,” she added.

The community based project is geared towards raising funds from both the public and private sector in order to enable residents of low income households through the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia to build decent dwellings for themselves.

Shikongo, who is completely blind, won two bronze medals and one gold medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Shikongo is uniquely equipped to raise awareness on the landmark campaign because he has lived in a shack most of his life.

Meanwhile, Shikongo said, said he was happy by the project and applauded Standard Bank for its support. He said that through sports, disabled people like himself were trying to make something of themselves.

“Some people have been working for a long time but they could not afford to buy a house, they now can with the Buy-A-Brick initiative,” he said.