Orange Babies brings hope where there is none

WINDHOEK NAMENE HELMICH

In an effort to raise funds for its projects, the Orange Babies Foundation Namibia is hosting a fundraising dinner on September 27.
Orange Babies Namibia is a welfare organisation registered with the Ministry of Health and Social Services to care for HIV-positive mothers, their children, pregnant women as well as orphans and vulnerable children.
All projects are funded through Orange Babies Amsterdam, a Dutch organisation which originated in the fashion world where funds are generated through fashion shows, art exhibitions and gala events, and sent to various SADC countries to take care of HIV-positive women and children.
Orange Babies Namibia's projects co-ordinator, Sonny Britz, says despite the funding from the Netherlands, the organisation is struggling and that is why it is hosting a dinner to raise funds and also create awareness about the foundation.
She said the organisation has a few projects including Ehalelo Koo Meme, which provides support to HIV-positive pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and their children, but funds are hard to come by.
"The beneficiaries are referred from ARV clinics at State hospitals to the various Ehalelo Koo Meme centres. The project is running at three sites: Windhoek, Okahandja and Rehoboth. After referral, beneficiaries are registered on the programme to receive nutritional support.
"During the first home visit an assessment is done. Follow-up visits are done during the time the beneficiary is part of the programme. All beneficiaries are expected to report to the Ehalelo Koo Meme centres every second week for visits during which the appointed nurse does a basic medical check-up and hands out food parcels for the following two weeks.
"All mothers are expected to participate in support group activities during which education, skills training and basic counselling are done. The project supports approximately 450 beneficiaries per year," said Britz.
Another project is the Orange Babies Child Development Programme at Five Rand Camp outside Okahandja, which provides support to approximately 400 orphans and vulnerable children living in the Five Rand informal settlement.
"The children receive a cooked lunch every day after school and monitoring is done through weighing and measuring of the children monthly. Orange Babies Namibia also provides primary health care to the children through a mobile clinic, visiting the project twice a month. Pharm Access Foundation provides the mobile clinic," said Britz.
The Hope Village initiative provides support to 92 orphans and vulnerable children living in the Hope Village in Katutura. All children are referred by social workers to the facility. Orange Babies Namibia supports Hope Village through contributions towards the running costs of the houses for girls, boys, toddlers and babies. Orange Babies has been involved with this project since its inception by building the boys' and babies' homes.
The Good Hope Hostel project supports orphans and vulnerable children living in the Good Hope Hostel at Witkop, near Rehoboth.
According to Britz, the children stay in the hostel during school terms. Support is given to the project through contributions towards the feeding scheme and medical support for the children. The hostel was renovated in 2011. Orange Babies Namibia is currently seeking support to set up a library with computers for the children.
Meanwhile, 20 enthusiastic Dutch cyclists will be visiting Namibia next week to raise funds for Orange Babies Namibia.
The cyclists will be cycling through Five Rand Camp and will visit the Ehalelo Koo Meme and Nau-Aib Children's project. They will also spend time at the various projects in Okahandja, playing football matches and games with the children, painting the pre-primary classrooms and dining area at Five Rand Primary School.
Orange Babies Country Manager Elanza Van Wyk said: "We are looking forward to welcoming the volunteers from the Netherlands to Namibia to assist Orange Babies to continue keeping hope alive."
Orange Babies. Namibia is managed by a board of trustees and full-time staff.