Deon Schlechter
WINDHOEK - With Namibia ravaged by a six-year drought, the Dare to Care fund is moving and shaking to bring relief to the country’s farmers amidst a national crisis.
Recently, Engen heeded calls for help and connected with the Dare to Care Foundation and pledged to contribute five cents for every litre of petrol purchased from Engen service stations in Namibia to Dare to Care between June 1 and August 31.
“Our target is to raise N$3 million to help the country’s commercial and subsistence farmers in this hour of extreme need,” says Christian Li, Engen’s managing director in Namibia. The Dare to Care fund is steadily working its way to the goal of N$10 million,” he noted.
The fund now stands at N$6 054 378 after Ombaye Fishing (Pty) Ltd last Friday donated N$100 000 while smaller amounts also poured in. The biggest contribution came from Saroa Lodge who rolled out N$371 000 while the Pioneerspark Primary School donated N$12 323 and Otjiwarongo Motors & Tractors contributed N$10 000 and Gelbvieh Vereniging N$8 352.
Dr Nac Nghifindaka, the president of the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU), thanked Ombaye Fishing for its contribution and expressed hope that more companies would follow suit to assist the country’s drought-stricken farmers.
Both she and Danie van Vuuren of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) pointed out that the subsidies of N$50 per bag are available to commercial as well as communal farmers at livestock and game feed suppliers such as Agra and Kaap Agri Namibia.
Ombaye Fishing has a track record of generosity towards good causes. It’s executive chairman, Libolly Haufiku, said they were happy to help, calling agriculture the backbone of the country. Managing director Lukas Uutoni added: “It’s our country and together we have to fix it ourselves.”
Ombaye is a household name for the harbour town of Walvis Bay from where the company operates.
The two farmers unions jointly administer the Dare to Care fund, which is independently audited to ensure transparency.