Martin Endjala
Monica Geingos, the First Lady of Namibia, has implored cooperate companies to strengthen their social responsibilities by investing in the people of Namibia to achieve one economy.
She made the call during her visit to the Namib Desert Diamonds (NAMDIA) in Windhoek yesterday, where she said that cooperate companies have a moral duty to invest in the people and added that this is the only way for Namibia to be successful
She said young people must succeed and for that to happen more investment is needed.
With the much-anticipated Green Hydrogen and the discovery of oil, Geingos emphasized that this can become the reliable breadwinner for both the people and the country.
Her call for social responsibility stems from the fact that investing in people can create opportunities such as in the Education, Health and Sports sectors.
“If you want to build people, then you must invest in their confidence, capital and capacity because none of us can survive without these three things,” she explained.
Enabling young people with such capacity will ensure that they build great confidence in achieving their goals and also acquiring the necessary capital that they need to either start their businesses or pay for their studies.
She stressed that if Namibia wants to free itself from being regarded as the country with the second-highest rate of economic inequalities in the world, corporate social responsibility needs to come on board and reinvigorate its efforts.
She added that cooperate companies have the means to improve and uplift people’s lives while giving the example of Oranjemund which used to be under the care of Consolidated Diamond Mines, an affiliate of De Beers.
NAMDIA’s Public Relations Officer, Beverly Coussement announced in the meantime, that the company has so far contributed over N$40 million towards Corporate Social Investment (CSI) since its inception in 2016.
The CSI she says is one of many initiatives the company uses to give back to the community. The NAMDIA Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation under the patronage of NAMDIA and chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of NAMDIA and trusteeship comprising the Executive Committee of management.
The Foundation is set to function as the Corporate Social Responsibility vehicle of NAMDIA with the purpose to combat the country’s social and economic gaps.
The company said that it will continue to broaden its scope of operations through donations and sponsorships to organizations, institutions and individuals for charitable and philanthropic purposes aimed at yielding long-term life-changing results,” the diamond marketing and sales company.
