Christmas shoeboxes for Orange Babies kids

Old Mutual joined the large group of Namibian companies that are bringing the spirit of Christmas to vulnerable and disadvantaged children during the festive season. Last week, the life insurer gave shoeboxes to the children at Orange Babies. Danille Aspelling Marketing Consultant at Old Mutual said the motivation behind this initiative is not only a way to create awareness and to educate their employees about HIV but also to provide them with the means to make a valuable contribution towards people in society affected by HIV/Aids. She emphasised how impressed she was with the way Orange Babies follow a holistic approach to support mothers and children.

“They have an unfailing and hands-on approach with regards to the management of the programme” she said adding that by looking at the involvement as well as the results of past initiatives run by Orange Babies, it is clear that they “Do Great Things” just like Old Mutual. Elanza Van Wyk who represented Orange Babies said the main focus of their organisation is to provide the most vulnerable, access to quality life by caring for HIV positive mothers, their children, as well as pregnant women and other orphans and vulnerable children. She emphasised that Orange Babies currently provide nutritional, psycho-social support and primary health care to over 500 orphans in Windhoek, Okahandja and Rehoboth. Their theme for 2013 is “Keeping Hope Alive”. It is against this background that they started the ‘Christmas Shoebox of Hope’ initiative. Van Wyk said they want to ensure that every child in their programme receives a shoebox filled with hope this Christmas. She thanked Old Mutual and their staff for partnering with them and for making the Hope Initiative possible. She hopes that Orange Babies and Old Mutual can team up again in future to join the fight in ensuring an HIV-free generation. Orange Babies was founded by three men from Amsterdam, Baba Sylla, John Kattenberg and Steff Becker with the sole objective to prevent the virus from spreading from mothers to their unborn children and to encourage and inspire everyone who is HIV positive to live positive lives and that the disease is no longer a death sentence.