Etosha Fishing remains
steadfast in its commitment to carry on with its school feeding scheme, despite
the three year moratorium imposed on pilchard catches by the Ministry of
Fisheries and Marine Resources last year.
The company supplies
canned pilchards to seven schools across Walvis Bay, feeding about 2,200
learners every day during school days. This figure has increased from 1,800
learners in 2017, illustrating the dire need that exists for a proper meal
among underprivileged young school children. The feeding scheme is coordinated
through the Promiseland Trust, a non-profit welfare organisation that cares for
and assists disadvantaged and destitute children in the poor communities of
Walvis Bay. Merlus Seafood Processors also contributes to the feeding scheme
with the supply of about 750 loafs of bread on a weekly basis. Annually about
25 000 loafs of bread are distributed through the Promiseland Trust feeding
scheme.
“Despite tough times,
we cannot default on our promise to provide at least one daily meal to these
underprivileged children. This is often the only wholesome meal that they will
receive in a day,” Etosha Fishing MD Pieter Greeff said. Etosha Fishing has
been part of the Promiseland Trust feeding scheme since its inception in 2013.
Etosha Fishing
Corporation is a leading player in the pelagic fishing industry and currently
the only operational cannery in Walvis Bay. It cans pilchard for well-known
brands such as Lucky Star and Glenryck. It also pioneered value addition to
Namibia’s own Horse Mackerel with the introduction of its home-grown, canned
EFUTA Maasbanker brand in 2014. In view of the decline of Namibia’s own
pilchard resource in recent times and to sustain jobs at its cannery, Etosha
Fishing has been importing on average between 8,000 and 10,000 metric tons of
frozen pilchards annually since 2010 for local value addition.
“We are really blessed
with the food donations. There is a huge need for this among our children,”
said Mrs Eixas of the Tutaleni Primary School in Narraville. The school has
about 1,440 learners and conducts two feeding sessions daily – one in the
morning and one in the afternoon. The canned pilchards are warmed up and served
with either pap or bread.
A touching personal
letter from the learners of !Nara Primary School addressed to Etosha Fishing
reads: “Thank you, you are our godmother… Thank you for supporting us. We the
learners of !Nara school gets energy from your food and this helps us to
concentrate better at school because we enjoy your food.”
Schools that benefit
from the feeding scheme include Tutaleni Primary, Flamingo Primary, Dune Side
High, Narraville Primary, !Naras Primary, Duinesig Primary and Kuiseb Primary
schools. Promiseland also has its own feeding project that benefits from
Etosha’s pilchard donations. The Trust provides daily meals in two sittings
from Monday to Friday for roughly 250 vulnerable children at the Promiseland
Centre in Kuisebmond. The first meal is prepared and served to pre-primary
children during their morning activities at the Promiseland Centre and the
second for school-going children in the afternoons.
Should anyone wish to
contribute to the Promiseland Trust feeding scheme or find out more about the
Trust they can visit the website at
www.promiseland.com.na
Mrs Eixas of Tutaleni
Primary School pictured with Rudolfine (middle) and Marietjie (right) who are
responsible for the preparation and dishing out of warm meals to the learners
during break time. Two feeding sessions are conducted daily to meet the demand
for a wholesome meal at their school.
