Empowers Africa, an NPO and Wilderness Safaris partner in the United States, recently donated US$10 000 from proceeds of its COVID-19 Relief Fundraiser to the Wilderness Wildlife Trust’s Maltahöhe Community Project.

The grant has enabled Wilderness to provide sufficient food hampers to sustain 70 families of four for a month, and the remainder of the funds will be used to set up a vegetable garden at the Rev P A Schmidt Primary School in Maltahöhe.

Poverty is a major challenge in Namibia. With 34.9% of the population living on less than US$1 per day, the country has one of the largest income inequality gaps in the world – specifically in the Hardap Region where the Maltahöhe community is located.

Last year, Wilderness Safaris Namibia delivered 60 food parcels to Hardap’s Daweb Constituency Office as a short-term measure to mitigate the severe food shortage caused by prolonged drought and job losses due to COVID. They also supplied unused uniforms and toys for the local primary school affiliated to Wilderness Safaris’ non-profit partner, Children in the Wilderness.

“This is a tremendous boost for our overall strategy to support our partner communities,” says Agnes Tjirare, Wilderness Namibia Impact Manager. “As if being in the grip of a major drought wasn’t bad enough, the residents’ opportunity to sell crafts through tourism came to an end when COVID-19 brought international travel to a standstill.”

As tourism is the main source of employment in the area, many people have been retrenched because of the pandemic. “Here, seasonal vegetables and a variety of fruit trees will contribute towards each child receiving at least one square meal per day to feed their bodies and their minds. Any surplus will go to the elderly and most vulnerable members of the community,” Tjirare adds.