Girl Up Namibia gives hope to communities

PINEHAS NAKAZIKOA GROUP of young girls has joined the Girl Up Namibia initiative to assist the community through donations and other community projects.

Girl Up is a global initiative founded by the United Nations in 2010 to advocate, create, and protect a safe future for the girl child and to unleash the creative potential, and assist in every aspect; from hygiene, education and sponsorship.

Girl Up Namibia was initiated in Namibia in 2018 through a camp targeting women in science.

It has close to 100 members across Namibia, with leadership positions spread according to regions.

Members include Ponho Kapepo, club president, Aily Ngalangi representing Kavango West, Irene Kavhura from Kavango East, Tuli Shatona of Ohangwena, Felicia Masule representing Khomas, Cicel Kalumani from the Zambezi, Teelela Nauyoma of Hardap, Frieda Kakololo and Liberty-Anne Beukes of Khomas and Benitia Aikhuki representing the Omusati region.

According to Kapepo, the initiative has held several summits which were virtual because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They have been targeting topics on menstrual hygiene, leadership skills, and awareness, and to make assurance that the world is a playground of discovery.

Recently, the group hosted a menstrual education workshop at the Shambyu Combined School in Kavango East. The team educated pupils on issues of menstruation. “This was meant to open girls eyes about menstruation,” says Ngalangi.

The team visited the Frans Oupa Indongo Orphanage in Oshakati, to donate some food parcels to vulnerable children.

They also visited the dumpsite at Rundu to assist those that flock to the dumpsite in search of food. Apart from that, the girls also visited the Musese Foundation in Kavango East and Divundu as a food aid response to the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) interview with 65-year old Brigida Dinyano, who is the breadwinner of 20 people.

In Khomas, Girl Up had a day trip to Groot Aub where they handed over donation items to the council and more than five households.

Materials donated through the Girl Up Namibia initiative are sourced from the community, corporates, NGOs and individual philanthropists.

According to Kapepo, Girl Up’s financial service also assists in the purchase of items such as food. They also use it to host camps, summits, and to advocate as well as to educate.

“Sometimes we do this in collaboration with other organisations, but our hands have been tied by the pandemic. We are still trying to do the most for the Namibian girl child and give them the eyesight of an eagle and strength of a lion,” says Kapepo.

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