The newly formed Bowls of Hope Foundation, established just two months ago in Ondobe Village in the Ohangwena Region, has made its first public footprint by reaching out to vulnerable children, long before completing all formal registration processes.

The foundation was born out of a simple observation that the children in the Ohangwena Region required assistance, but not enough local organisations were willing to provide it.

In October, ten young individuals came together with a vision of donating beds to schools. 

But as they looked closer at the community in the region, they realised their needs went much deeper.

Lena Jacob explained that "The first initiative that we started with was 'Keep a Girl in School', which was just to donate pads to schools. We also developed a plan to provide the children with food and other essential items in addition to the pads. So we combined the two, and we named it Bowls of Hope... to help kids with mental health... help them with their homework and keep them entertained on Saturdays."

Today, that concept turned into action. 

Working with village headmen to identify the most vulnerable households, the foundation treated children to a Christmas lunch.

Crucially, they distributed sanitary pads to young girls, a vital resource to keep them in the classroom. 

They also provided youth mentorship, sharing information on gender-based violence (GBV) and mental health.

"One of the challenges we are facing is a lack of sponsorship. The food and items that we used today are from our own savings, and we got a few sponsorships from family members. We just started. That's why we decided to hold our first event, so that next time we can provide proof of our efforts instead of just presenting papers to request sponsorship without any evidence."

Parents and guardians turned out in support, describing the initiative as timely and necessary. 

One parent praised the youth for taking responsibility at the community level, saying such efforts would help mould children into responsible adults with stronger values for the future.

A parent of one of the beneficiaries, Linekela Shilongo, spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries. She said, "We are happy for what these young people have come up with. Our kids got food and sanitary pads. This initiative will help many of our children from the daily hardships they experience; this will take our region forward."

For the young beneficiaries, the impact was immediate. 

A learner who received sanitary pads, Emilia Kavandje, spoke openly about the daily challenges girls face due to a lack of access to sanitary products, adding that the donation would help her focus on school and everyday life with confidence.

"As girls, we face a lot of challenges, especially at school. Occasionally, we get our periods unexpectedly. Therefore, we are thankful for the sanitary pads we received today."

A community-driven, empathy-based organisation, the Bowls of Hope Foundation has planted a seed in the Ohangwena Region, hoping that with future support, they can harvest a better future for the region's children.

For Ondobe village, Bowls of Hope Foundation has already lived up to its name.