Gifts pour in for Mboma and Masilingi

CORPORATE Namibia has banded together in spectacular fashion to celebrate Namibian athletes Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi.

Mobile telecommunications giant MTC was the first to take up the task of supporting the girls financially with N$2 million each over a three-year period.

The money will be spent on construction, training, iPhones and allowances.

At the announcement of the sponsorship two weeks ago, MTC praised the girls for lifting the nation’s spirits.

FlyWestair was the next company to join in. They wished the runners all the best and announced they were proud to be providing them with free flights for two years.

Now it seems making it to the women’s 200 m final and then Mboma securing Namibia’s first Olympic medal since 1996, was the push everyone else needed to hop onto the train.

Nictus Furnishers Namibia was the first to announce their post-win celebratory gift for the girls via their Twitter page – each will receive a queen-size Restonic Tranquilo bed.

They also encouraged Namibians to tag other companies they felt needed to join.

The girls have further been promised travel vouchers from Namibia Wildlife Resorts, a year of paramedical services (sport massage therapy, muscle preparation and recovery), skincare, nutritional guidance, and prepared meals from Mekenificent Wellness and Spa, 12 months of flowers from Karibu Flowers, a year of Pasta Polana products, 200 chicks from Divine Chicken, Ontoko eggs for a year, a year of sport, casual and evening wear by Luis Munana’s luxury brand Zuriel, and free massages for a year from Yoni Day Spa.

They even got cheese russians, restaurant vouchers, training gear, a studio photo shoot, locally produced apparel, driving lessons, makeup for events, hairstyling, beauty treatments, and a year of dental work, while a musician pledged each of them a copy of his album.

Gweri Vintage Collection’s Creative Director Pinehas ‘ZuluBoy’ Shikulo even tweeted he had plans to make the girls sport ambassadors of his Gweri Socks brand.

According to Henok Sivambi, Nictus spokesperson, they realised people would be more willing to chip in if they saw others doing so.

“Smaller companies especially feel like they have nothing to contribute, because it seems too big to do alone,” he says.

“If all of us come together, it could be something big.”

– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer and social commentator from Bing talk Namibia. Follow her online for more.

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