A good night’s rest for needy kids

A COMPANY producing cosy quilted sleeping bags for orphans and vulnerable children was launched in Windhoek yesterday.

The sleeping bags made by Bag-A-Kid are child-friendly and functional. They are made from synthetic batting and colourfast polycotton and are machine quilted and all edges are overlocked.Each bag is fully washable and no ironing is needed.They also have their own built-in pillows and because they are filled with synthetic batting, they are soft enough should there be no mattress for the child.The bags are available in three sizes and Bank Windhoek has bought the first 100 bags to distribute to needy children.The 2001 Population and Housing Census indicated that there were 156 165 orphans in Namibia at that time, with one in seven children under the age of 15 having lost one or both parents.It is estimated that the number will increase to 250 000 orphans by 2021.”The vision of Bag-A-Kid is to provide some warmth at night to the thousands of young Namibians who do not have the privilege at the moment,” said Erna Keulder, Managing Director of Bag-A-Kid.Bank Windhoek has distributed some of the 100 sleeping bags to orphans in Windhoek, but the rest will be handed out countrywide.”Bank Windhoek is aware that the plight of orphans is not confined to Windhoek…We will make use of our branches in the far North, such as the newly established Nkurenkuru branch, and South, such as the Aminuis branch, to assist in the distribution of these sleeping bags to orphans and vulnerable children,” said Bank Windhoek spokesperson Marlize Horn.They are made from synthetic batting and colourfast polycotton and are machine quilted and all edges are overlocked.Each bag is fully washable and no ironing is needed.They also have their own built-in pillows and because they are filled with synthetic batting, they are soft enough should there be no mattress for the child.The bags are available in three sizes and Bank Windhoek has bought the first 100 bags to distribute to needy children.The 2001 Population and Housing Census indicated that there were 156 165 orphans in Namibia at that time, with one in seven children under the age of 15 having lost one or both parents.It is estimated that the number will increase to 250 000 orphans by 2021.”The vision of Bag-A-Kid is to provide some warmth at night to the thousands of young Namibians who do not have the privilege at the moment,” said Erna Keulder, Managing Director of Bag-A-Kid.Bank Windhoek has distributed some of the 100 sleeping bags to orphans in Windhoek, but the rest will be handed out countrywide.”Bank Windhoek is aware that the plight of orphans is not confined to Windhoek…We will make use of our branches in the far North, such as the newly established Nkurenkuru branch, and South, such as the Aminuis branch, to assist in the distribution of these sleeping bags to orphans and vulnerable children,” said Bank Windhoek spokesperson Marlize Horn.