FLTR-Executive Officer Meatco Foundation, Mr Kuniberth Shamanthe, Meatco Board Trustee, Mr Tjeripo Tjikuua, Gobanin Chief, Mr Stephanus Gariseb, Chairperson of /Gobanin Traditional Authority, Ms Regina Swartbooi

On Saturday, 06 November 2021, the Meatco Foundation in collaboration with UNIL (Norwegian Group) and Global Protein Solutions (GPS), as Meatco's corporate social vehicle to support communal farmers all over Namibia handed over a completed water borehole valued at N$450,000 to the Goreses Community. At the handover ceremony, which was attended by members of the community, the /Gobanin Traditional Authority Chief, Stephanus Gariseb, exclaimed that I am happy to be healthy and alive to witness this day.

"I hope you all are also happy and are of sound health, I also welcome every one of you to the Goreses Settlement. We will forever be grateful for receiving this opportunity, for funding a solar penal water borehole. Meatco Foundation's Trustee, Usiel Kandjii, while delivering the background and information on the project speech, acknowledged the Omaheke Region's Governor, Hon. Pijoo Nganate and Councillor of Otjinene Constituency, Hon. Ervin Katjizeu in absentia who were both represented by the Chairperson of the Omaheke Regional Council and Councillor of the Kalahari Constituency, Hon. Ignatius Gariseb. I thank Meatco and the Meatco Foundation and the esteemed stakeholders as well as donors UNIL and GPS.

Chairperson of the Omaheke Regional Council and Kalahari Constituency Councillor Ignatius Gariseb, delivering the Keynote Speech

"On behalf of the Meatco Foundation I am proud and honoured to be part of this momentous ceremony of handing this borehole over to you as a community," said Kandjii.

With the limited funds that the Foundation possess we try our level best to use the resources we own and request donors along with other stakeholders to fund and assist communities.

The inception of the Goreses water borehole project was initiated when the community's leadership approached Meatco Foundation and requested support on various projects. The Foundation visited the settlement and accessed that there is an urgent need to provide the community with water allowing for farming activities to take place and enhance livelihoods he further added. In the same vein, we would like to ask the community to embrace the opportunity bestowed and implore that the borehole and solar panels are preserved, Kandjii concluded.

Chairperson of the Omaheke Regional Council and Councillor of the Kalahari Constituency, Ignatius Gariseb, on behalf of the regional leadership thanked Meatco Foundation for this project. He further highlighted that talks of how animals can be supported and rounded-off to slaughter capacity should follow suit for the Goreses Community to start contributing sustainably and deliver animals to Meatco. Furthermore, a crush pen for the marketing of animals from the settlement is another important aspect that should also be considered, Gariseb added. The event was concluded by Meatco Foundation, Trustee, Tjeripo Tjikuua, officially handing over the water borehole to the community.

The Goreses Community that depends on subsistence farming and small-scale livestock farming prior to this donation had no adequate means of water supply and will now through this water borehole benefit about 300 people living at the settlement. The borehole's total water capacity is 5000 litres. Additionally, the Foundation is responsible for numerous projects such as the Helena, Okangoho, Gam Crush Pens and the Gam Borehole Project, as well as the rolling out of the communal farmers Bull Scheme and in assisting cooperatives in the Northern Communal Area (NCA) to mention but a few.

Gobanin Chief, Stephanus Gariseb along side the community officiating the handing over of borehole

Goreses Community members during the handover of the water borehole

Completed and fully functional water borehole and solar panel..jpg

Installed solar panel