Hope Village girls house gets face-lift

NDN Staffer

WINDHOEK, Mar. 15 – Standard Bank’s girls house last weekend received a much needed facelift to celebrate its 10th anniversary, much to the delight of its occupants.

Since the inception of the orphanage that looks after some 96 children who are affected or infected with HIV/AIDS, the Bank has committed itself to helping the organisation, also donating a bus and continuously donating money or food to them.

“As a good corporate citizen, Standard Bank has definitely come a long way with Hope Village ever since we were the first to open the girl’s house back in 2008 as part of our CSI programme. We are pleased to continuously make a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of the orphans and vulnerable children here at the Village,” Standard Bank’s PR and Communications Manager, Surihe Gaomas-Guchu said during the celebrations on 9 March.

Standard Bank and Liberty employees put a fresh coat of paint on the home, painted some words of inspiration on the bedroom walls and put new bedding with accessories and toiletries in each of the 6 rooms which is occupied by 24 girls. The girls were taken by surprise when they arrived from school to find the changes as they screamed with delight then continued the celebrations with cake.

“I would like to commend the Managing Director of Hope Village Marietjie de Klerk, the Father of Hope Village Kingston Makoni, the house mothers and volunteers for keeping this place a loving home for the children, because for them this is the place they call home. Keep up the good work,” she stressed.

Additionally, the Bank’s former Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Amit Mohan, also donated N$5000 to Hope Village before his departure as the Village has been a cause close to his heart for a long time.

“It has been a long journey but we have gotten this far because of the love and support of everyone here over the years. We want to thank Standard Bank for their unwavering support, we are honoured and privileged,” Makoni said during the event.

Managing Director of Liberty, Christel Loots, helps 11-year-old Charmaine Noabes cut the cake for the celebrations. Noabes was one of the first children brought to the girl’s house when it first opened its doors 10 years ago.

He pointed out that the hope they have at the Village is in part due to the role the Bank has played over the years and the day’s celebration were a further testament to that as they have gone beyond the call of duty.

De Klerk, the founder of the Village also thanked the Bank for its support, saying that while other organisations thought starting the sanctuary for children was too adventurous for them to support, Standard Bank never wavered, jumping in to support its establishment. She shared her hopes of continuing the relationship with the Bank.