Etosha commits to school-feeding programme

THE Etosha Fishing company has reiterated its commitment to keeping children happy and fed through its involvement in school-feeding schemes, despite the three-year moratorium imposed on pilchard catches by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources last year.

The company currently supplies canned pilchards to seven schools across Walvis Bay, feeding about 2 200 learners every day during school days, a number which has increased from 1 800 learners in 2017.

This illustrates the dire need that exists for a proper meal among underprivileged young schoolchildren.

The feeding scheme is coordinated through the Promiseland Trust, a non-profit welfare organisation which cares for and assists disadvantaged and destitute children in the poor communities of Walvis Bay.

The managing director of Etosha Fishing Corporation, Pieter Greeff, proudly noted in an interview with The Namibian that the company will always make sure that no child attends class on an empty stomach.

“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,” he added.

The company has been part of the Promiseland Trust feeding scheme since its inception in 2013.

Etosha is a leading player in the pelagic fishing industry, and currently the only operational cannery at Walvis Bay. It cans pilchard for well-known brands such as Lucky Star and Glenryck. It also pioneered value addition to Namibia’s horse mackerel with the introduction of its home-grown, canned Efuta maasbanker brand in 2014.

Given the decline of Namibia’s pilchard resource in recent times and to sustain jobs at its cannery, Etosha has been importing on average between 8 000 and 10 000 metric tonnes of frozen pilchards annually since 2010 for local value-addition.

“We are blessed with the food donations. There is a huge need for this among our children,” a teacher at the Tutaleni Primary School at Kuisebmond, Kresensia Eixas, said.

The school has about 1 440 learners, and conducts two feeding sessions daily. The first feeding period is in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

The life skills teacher/school counsellor of the Kuiseb Primary School, Mercy Hengwa, is also thankful for the feeding scheme.

“It gives you piece of mind to see children receiving food during break- time. We don’t always know what the children are going through at home, or how much they eat.

“A hungry child in class could be a challenge because he/she would not perform to the best of their ability. Sometimes, the food is given to the children to take home because they are left in the care of other people when their parents have to travel for emergencies” she stated.

The canned pilchards are warmed up and served with either pap which is provided by the government, or bread which is delivered at the schools after being collected from local shops every morning.

Another fishing company, Merlus Seafood Processors, also contributes to the feeding scheme with the supply of about 750 loaves of bread on a weekly basis.

Annually, about 25 000 loaves of bread are distributed through the Promiseland Trust feeding scheme.

Schools which benefit from the feeding scheme include the Tutaleni Primary, Flamingo Primary, Duneside High, Narraville Primary, !Naras Primary, Duinesig Primary and Kuiseb Primary schools.

Promiseland also has its 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 at Kuisebmond.

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