As part of its Joy Box Project, First National Bank handed over about 460 boxes containing food, stationery, and cosmetics to the Project Hope Namibia's Namibia Adherence and Retention Project beneficiaries.
The donation will benefit underprivileged children aged 0–18 years and elders in Windhoek, Swakopmund, and Ondangwa.
A total of 708 boxes were donated by the FNB staff and the FirstRand Foundation, of which 460 were handed over in Windhoek.
The boxes consist of non-perishable food items, cosmetics, stationery, self-care kits, and baby items, to name a few.
FNB's Executive Officer, Sepo Haihambo, says the project is a simple way to fight poverty and inequality and to improve the living standards of all Namibians.
"Please allow me to remind you that each one of us has the capacity to offer a legacy of hope. We may not be able to change the world in one day, but we should never underestimate the power and impact we can make by working together in the community. which is why we, at FNB, have supported this initiative and reaffirmed our commitment to delivering intuitive help because we believe each child deserves a healthy, happy future, and giving it the gift of joy is a powerful starting point."
The Country Director of Project Hope Namibia, Rosalia Indongo, says the donation is a great example of the public-private partnership that they have been working towards in establishing their newly founded partnership with FNB.
Indongo excitedly expressed her gratitude upon receiving the donation, saying: "If my calculations or the numbers that I was given are still the same because I was first told there were 300 parcels, now we have 460 parcels that we are handing over, that is big. It's not a small token."
According to Indongo, 68% of people in the |Khomas Region live in households where there is severe hunger, and over 400 thousand people in the country are in desperate need of food and direct services, and support to meet their daily needs.
"We are not only looking at the health aspect and the needs of these children; we are also looking at education, we are also looking at their safety, and then we are also looking at household economic vulnerabilities that include food insecurity at household levels."
NARP was launched in 2013 and supports about 100,000 people annually. The project provides comprehensive services to people living with or affected by HIV.