Bankers support barefoot campaign

An unlikely charity donor emerged last week when the Bankers Association of Namibia delivered a consignment of shoes and clothes to Friendly Haven for Abused Women and Children. This was the last leg of the Walk Barefoot for Charity campaign involving all four commercial banks as well as the Bank of Namibia. The donation was delivered by staff of First National Bank.

Other beneficiaries of this campaign are the Sam Nujoma Multipurpose Child Care and Welfare,  Community Hope School, Friendly Haven, the Hope Initiative Southern Africa (HISA), the Katutura Old Age Home, King’s Daughters, Men-on-the-Side-of-the Road and the School for the Hearing Impaired. Ian Leyenaar, CEO of FNB and Chairman of the Bankers Association said: “In life we often do not appreciate what we have and I would like to make reference to the saying ‘I was sad because I had no good shoes, until I met a man who had no feet’. Let us be thankful for what we have and assist those that need our help.” The ‘Walk Barefoot for Charity Day’ asked staff members of all the banks to donate old or new shoes. This was the ticket for that staff member to go to work barefoot.
The initiative is voluntary and staff members enjoyed it tremendously. Leyenaar said: “As an association and as good corporate citizens, I would like to thank each of the contributing banks who are represented here for their support and commitment to a very worthy cause.”