Bank Windhoek supports Sunflower Day

WINDHOEK, Sept. 18- On Friday, 15 September 2017, Bank Windhoek staff members countrywide supported the Sunflower Day fundraising initiative and wore TOPE’s (Tube of Hope) as headbands, masks, scarfs, caps and arm bands.
“I am delighted to see how Bank Windhoek employees supported Sunflower Day of 2017. During sessions at each branch, employees were informed about the need for Namibian blood stem cell donors. Numerous employees are now considering the idea of becoming a blood stem cell donors. Through supporting this campaign, we hope that this will bring The Sunflower Fund’s dream, of having a Registry with 100 000 diversified donors, so much closer to reality,” said Marjolize Scholtz, Wellness Consultant at Bank Windhoek.
“The only way to save more lives and to prevent the loss of special lives, is to increase the South African Bone Marrow Registry. There are only two Registries’ in the whole of Africa; one in Nigeria and the other in South Africa. We want to contribute to this by increasing the number of donors listed on the national database,” said Scholtz.
Bank Windhoek’s Wellness department facilitated the initiative and provided TOPE’s to all staff members and encouraged them to wear as a symbol of their pledge towards “Sunflower Day”. Discussions were held to inform staff members about the donation process.
The funds raised, are used to cover the tissue-typing costs involved in adding donors onto the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).
Scholtz added that a higher number on the registry, increases the chance of finding matching stem cell donors in order to undergo life-saving stem cell transplants. “A blood stem cell transplant is a procedure to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow blood stem cells. By being a donor, you can help save the lives of those in critical need of such transplants,” Scholtz said. – NDN Staffer