Soup kitchen burgled again

THE soup kitchen at the Hope Initiative Project at Windhoek’s Okahandja Park informal settlement has been burgled for the second time this year.

At the end of February thieves broke open the burglar bars and stole two computers, a copier and printer, and the uniforms of the youth soccer team. The centre then had new burglar bars fitted but this failed to deter criminals on Monday night.They cut and bent two sets of bars open and climbed in through the bathroom window.Once inside, they broke open all 10 doors in the building.The doors and locks were so damaged that all of them have to be replaced.The thieves were carrying out the food from the kitchen when they were surprised by a community member who guards the centre at night.The guard said a man held him at gunpoint while his two accomplices were inside the building.The men then severely assaulted the guard and left him lying on the ground while they continued plundering the kitchen.The guard managed to run to the shack of the centre supervisor, who then hurried to the soup kitchen.On her way to the centre the supervisor came across a Police car and stopped them.The Police officers took her to the mobile Police station in Okuryangava and the security guard was taken to hospital.The Police called in reinforcements but the three burglars fled the scene in a bakkie.Neither the guard nor the supervisor wanted their names published for fear of retribution.The guard was still being treated in hospital yesterday.Apart from the damage to the building, the thieves stole N$270 in cash, two cellphones and a quantity of food.The centre offers a cellphone charging service for the community to raise money for the soup kitchen.The Hope Initiative soup kitchen feeds about 300 children a day.The centre also offers a small library, day care and counselling for children, and has organised a youth group and a soccer team.Volunteers from the community who help at the centre receive a small allowance.The centre then had new burglar bars fitted but this failed to deter criminals on Monday night.They cut and bent two sets of bars open and climbed in through the bathroom window.Once inside, they broke open all 10 doors in the building.The doors and locks were so damaged that all of them have to be replaced.The thieves were carrying out the food from the kitchen when they were surprised by a community member who guards the centre at night.The guard said a man held him at gunpoint while his two accomplices were inside the building.The men then severely assaulted the guard and left him lying on the ground while they continued plundering the kitchen.The guard managed to run to the shack of the centre supervisor, who then hurried to the soup kitchen.On her way to the centre the supervisor came across a Police car and stopped them.The Police officers took her to the mobile Police station in Okuryangava and the security guard was taken to hospital.The Police called in reinforcements but the three burglars fled the scene in a bakkie.Neither the guard nor the supervisor wanted their names published for fear of retribution.The guard was still being treated in hospital yesterday.Apart from the damage to the building, the thieves stole N$270 in cash, two cellphones and a quantity of food.The centre offers a cellphone charging service for the community to raise money for the soup kitchen.The Hope Initiative soup kitchen feeds about 300 children a day.The centre also offers a small library, day care and counselling for children, and has organised a youth group and a soccer team.Volunteers from the community who help at the centre receive a small allowance.