A chair, a table and a plate

The well-known Namibian Children’s Home in Eros, Windhoek, that houses 150 orphans and vulnerable children received 160 chairs from African Packaging this week as part of the company’s social responsibility investment. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare introduced a central kitchen to better cater for the needs of the children who are housed at the home. Mr Ulrich Mackensen Managing Director of African Packaging (left) presented the chairs to Mr Erastus Negonga, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare who received the donation on behalf of the Children’s Home. At the same event, the newly furnished dining hall was shown for the first time to the media. All the children will from now on take their daily meals in this hall, comfortably sitting on the chairs from the manufacturer.

The Children’s Home is the only residential childcare facility aside from the Interim Shelter of the After School Centre in Katutura, that is fully funded and run by the welfare ministry since November 2005. Prior to this date, the Ministry of Health and Social Services ran the Children’s home. Each house caters for ten children where they have their own rooms. Each house also has a full-time house mother who stays with them and takes care of their every need. The home is run like any ordinary home, to give the children a stable, caring environment where they can grow up to become productive citizens. (Photograph by Mandisa Rasmeni)