Girls House at Hope Village puts on new make-up, offers the world a bright smile
The twenty four girls of the Girls House at the Hope Village came home to a lovely surprise when they found their 6-room abode renovated and repainted, complete with new bedding and toiletries, as part of the Village’s recent 10th anniversary.
The Hope Village is home to almost one hundred children, one quarter of them girls, and all affected or infected by the HIV virus. The Village was founded ten years ago by Marietjie de Klerk and has been supported substantially by Standard Bank since its beginning.
For the anniversary surprise, Standard Bank and Liberty employees put a fresh coat of paint on the home, painted words of inspiration on the bedroom walls, discarded the old bedding and made sure each girls had access to her own toiletries. The anniversary was celebrated at an in-house party with an oversized birthday cake so that all the Village children could enjoy the mile stone.
De Klerk thanked the bank for its support, saying that while other organisations thought starting the sanctuary for children was too adventurous for them to support, Standard Bank never wavered, jumping in to support its establishment and continuing to support it through the years. She also thanked the the Father of Hope Village, Kingston Makoni, the House Mothers and the many volunteers who help provide a safe sanctuary for the vulnerable children.
“It has been a long journey but we have gotten this far because of the love and support of everyone here over the years. We want to thank Standard Bank for their unwavering support, we are honoured and privileged,” Makoni said at the anniversary party.
Before he left Namibia, the bank’s former Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Amit Mohan, also donated N$5000 to Hope Village as it has been a cause close to his heart for a long time.
Caption, Liberty’s Managing Director, Christell Loots, Hope Village founder Marietjie de Klerk and Standard Bank’s Events Manager, Sophy Mouton, celebrating the Girls House’s tenth anniversary together with the elated children whose home it is.
