Paralympian’s new home making good progress

WINDHOEK, MAY 14 – Multi-award winning Paralympian, Ananias Shikongo, will soon have his dreams of having a decent place to call home come true, as construction for his new house makes good progress with contractors half way complete with construction.

Standard Bank in partnership with the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) donated a home to the value of N$500 000 to the Paralympian after he won three medals in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro for his excellent work.

The Bank collaborated with NHE to secure a plot and construct the home for the athlete, breaking ground for construction to begin in February this year. When the Bank visited the construction site for the new home, the contractors were already installing the door and window frames of the house.

“We donated this house to Ananias because we believe that it is imperative to give recognition of sports as an enabling contributor that fosters unity, national reconstruction and regional and international cooperation. It is also important to celebrate achievements, because it not only motivates you to continue on the path of success, but it also positions you as a winner and attracts more success,” Standard Bank’s PR and Communication’s Manager, Surihe Gaomas-Guchu said this week.

Although it has admittedly been a long journey to this point, she said she was elated because they were almost at the finish line and the Paralympian would soon have a decent place to call home.

“[Ananias] Shikongo proved to the entire nation that disability is not inability and has emerged victorious against all odds. It was only fitting that we reward him in an equally fitting manner,” she explained.

Shikongo has also been a poignant figure in raising awareness for the Bank’s flagship Buy-a-Brick initiative for the past couple of years. He signed an agreement with the Bank in early 2017 to that effect.

“The Paralympian’s story is demonstrative of the significant importance of choice and the unlimited opportunities it opens up for people when they just stop focusing on the insurmountable obstacles they face. In a few short months the culmination of all his hard work will pay off when he moves into his brand new house and we would like to urge all the youth to follow in his footsteps,” she concluded. – NDN Staffer