O&L Fresh Produce donates food to Otavi Town Council’s clean-up effort
O&L Fresh Produce, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, and the Otavi Town Council donated food items to feed volunteers conducting the town’s clean-up campaign over the next three months.
The handover ceremony between the two parties was held at Otavi last week.
Wodibo Haulofu, Chief Executive of the Otavi Town Council, oversaw the handover and stated that the council’s intentions include cleaning the town and improving its overall appearance. Haulofu thanked O&L and Otavifontein for coming on board quickly after being identified as a significant partner.
He further explained that one of the key pillars of his office is sustainability, and for that reason, they believe in the saying that when you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
The Chief Executive explained that with the acquisition of a farm in the district, the town council plans to distribute a portion of this land to a youth development programme and another to pensioners to be utilized for agricultural purposes and as such, invest directly into the community of Otavi.
Meanwhile, The Mayor of Otavi, Pastor Isaac !Hoaeb, noted that this handover was cementing the relationship between O&L Fresh Produce and the town council, and the presence of the organization had already been felt in the town over the years through job creation and a donation of land towards Otavi Primary School to upgrade their facilities and sports fields.
!Hoaeb remarked: “We all should play a part as our town council should take the lead, but we should all take part to make this dream come true. Our dream is built on five pillars. Firstly, asset-based community development, while every community member is an asset and has something they can contribute. Second, ownership. We should own our challenges and we should own our solutions. With ownership comes participation.”
He said the theme of this clean-up campaign is My Otavi, My Pride.
“We should be proud of our town and have an environment conducive for us and for investors who want to come to our town. Third is sustainable development. We want to become self-sufficient and not always be dependent on donations. Fourth, food security. It entails securing food for our community. Fifth, is participation. As a council, we cannot do it alone.
“We need the participation of each of our community members, including the business community such as O&L Fresh Produce, who have responded to our request for sponsorship for this clean-up campaign in record time and for which we are grateful,” !Hoaeb added.
In his speech at the event, Henry Feris, Managing Director of O&L Fresh Produce, acknowledged the efforts of the Otavi Town Council and stated that the goal of the clean-up campaign and the O&L Group’s purpose intertwined in that both organizations committed to “Creating a future, enhancing life.”
Feris also elaborated on O&L Fresh Produce’s vision to “create a greener future for everyone around us.”
He further said that the company plans to do this by promoting the growth of the local agricultural sector, ensuring the environment in which they operate is clean, and fostering collaboration with the council to create a sustainable future for the entire community.
“The value of this partnership means so much to us and by donating this game meat and vegetables over the next three months for this initiative, we aim to enhance the overall experience of the volunteers and contribute to their well-being during this significant initiative,” Feris said.
OLFP_Otavi: Members of the Otavi Town Council, O&L Fresh Produce, and O&L Group at the handover event.
