FORMER First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba on Tuesday officially opened the Amitofo Care Centre, which will educate and provide care for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Namibia.
Named after a Chinese word meaning mercy, hope, goodness and/or love, the Amitofo Centre is situated some 15 kilometres east of Okahandja on the Hochfeld Road in the Otjozondjupa region.
The centre will offer lessons from pre-primary to Grade 12 and provide housing to over 300 OVC from all regions of the country.
Pohamba is the patron of the Amitofo Care Centre in Namibia. The centre was established with the financial support of a Chinese humanitarian organisation operating as Amitofo International.
Pohamba said Namibia has now become part of a network as Amitofo operates in five African countries – Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland, Mozambique and Lesotho.
“The good news is that this Amitofo education centre in Namibia will educate orphans and vulnerable children using the Namibian formal school curriculum,” she said, noting how the centre will provide day and residential care services, daily meals, clothes, transport and primary healthcare services to the children. Pohamba thanked the donors and volunteers who will work at the centre and take care of the Namibian OVC.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by his adviser, Otjozondjupa governor Otto Ipinge said the centre was registered with the government in December 2013 as a non-profit organisation.
He thanked Amitofo International for its support and urged orphans in the country who want to study at the centre to apply or call his office for assistance.
The founder of Amitofo Namibia, Hui Li, also attended the official opening of the centre.
–Nampa
