Pensioner gives back to vulnerable children

ALTHOUGH she lives a frugal life, Alice Fredericks, a 70-year-old Windhoek pensioner who is originally from South Africa, donates to the less fortunate, especially vulnerable children.

Fredericks, who has been living in Namibia since 1980 and later became a permanent resident, started giving to the less fortunate in 1994.

Her latest act of kindness happened last Friday when she organised a Christmas lunch for about 1 400 pupils at the Bet-El Primary School in Katutura. Of the 1 400 pupils, about 800 are orphans and vulnerable children.

“I started cooking for the pupils at Bet-El Primary School five years ago because the school secretary spoke to me about their vulnerability. Prior to Bet-El, I was at AI Steenkamp Primary School, also in Katutura, for 10 years. In addition, I also prepared food for children at the Auas Primary School for a few months,” Fredericks said.

She explained that she feeds the children at the school three times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“I feed them on Mondays because I would not know what they had to eat over the weekend, and Fridays because I would not know what they would eat over the weekend when they go home. Some of these children are really vulnerable, and all I want to do is give back to them,” she stated.

She said in 1994, she found herself in one of the informal settlements in Katutura, saw the dire living conditions of people, and decided to start a feeding scheme.

Fredericks has been able to run her feeding scheme on donations from individuals, as well as Namib Mills, which donates 30kg of pasta every month. Dee Dee Electrical also supports her, while Hollard Namibia recently came on board.

She cooks the food at her house with the help of relatives.

Bet-El Primary School secretary Katrina Haragaes, who implored Fredericks to start the feeding scheme at the school five years ago, said since the feeding scheme started, the academic performances of pupils had improved.

“Since the feeding scheme started, the children are always excited, and the teachers have even said the children’s school-work has improved,” Haragaes said.

Teacher Stephanie Moepi said OVCs make up more than half of the pupils at the school. She said the vulnerable children always walk long distances to school.

“They walk to school from residential areas I did not even know existed. The school has an active soup kitchen under the Namibian school-feeding programme for over two years, but it is not always enough,” she added.

Moepi said the Christmas lunch was a good initiative and a blessing for the children, giving them an opportunity to have good food because some of them do not get such food at home during Christmas.

In addition, the teachers also gave the children small gifts.

Grade 7 pupil Lucas Shingudi (13) said the feeding scheme has really helped because before, some of them slept in class, but now they have energy and are able to perform better academically.

Sylvia Nangombe (13), also a Grade 7 pupil, thanked Fredericks for her kindness, saying some children did not have food at home because their parents do not have money. Nangombe said with exams approaching, pupils could at least learn on a full stomach and concentrate more.

The teacher-to-student ratio at the school is roughly one-to-41. The school is, however, hopeful that the situation will improve and more classes will be built.

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