Chinese Business Community donates food parcels and PPEs to help combat the Pandemic
Recently, the Chinesebusiness community in the north has been mobilizing resources and donating food parcels and antipandemic supplies to vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19. Many local people in Oshikango, Ondangwa, Omuthiya, Oshakati, Ongwediva, have benefited from the Chinese donation, which is in total worth about N$ 386,750 Namibian dollars.
Ambassador Zhang Yiming posted in his Facebook that despite the COVID-19 effects, Chinese business community does not shelvetheirsocialresponsibility and keeps helping those in need, which demonstrates the empathy they have with people of Namibia who are suffering from the pandemic, as well as the humanitarian spirit of helping each other amid disasters. In this difficult time of Covid-19, it is even more imperative to stand in solidarity and support each other.
It is against this background that several local Chinese businessmen and women in different towns of the Northern part of Namibia came to rescue and extended their generosity of donations to the needy.
On the 12th June, the
Chinese Business community donated 760 loving food packages worth N$117,350 to the community of Oshikango. This food package contains maize meal, edible oil, brown sugar, and hollow powder. Shortly after that, they donated personal protective equipment to the police officers in the border town despite their own business contraction and lack of PPE.
Additionally, the Chinese businessmen from Ondangwa donated a total of N$73,000 on 16 June to the local community. A portion of N$37000 was used to purchase 150 loving food packages. The other N$36000 was used to purchase anti-epidemic materials and donate to the police station and immigration department.
According to Mr. Jiang Bo, the deputy chairperson of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
Namibia, even though their business activities are being affected by this epidemic, all of the Chinese from Ondangwa voluntarily contributed to the above donation.
a donation activity was conducted in Omuthiya on 23rd of June. A total of N$40,000 was raised from the local Chinese community , within which N$32,000 was used to purchase 200 loving food packages and the remaining N$8000 was used to donate anti-epidemic materials to the police station.
While in Outapi some Chinese donated a total of N$69,600 for epidemic prevention materials to the local police station and immigration bureau, who have been always sticking to their positions since the outbreak of the virus. For Ongwediva and Oshakati areas, on 18 and 25 June, a total of N$81,800 was raised among the Chinese business people and donated to the local people.
The two towns’ local authority councils will each receive 150 food parcels worth of N$ 40,000 to distribute to their most needy residents. The food parcels are meant to be distributed to less-privileged elderly residents of the towns, especially those who suffered most during the economic downturn in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jin Gui, a member of the association of ChinesemerchantsinNamibia, said during the handover of the food parcels at Oshakati that the donation was an example of the friendship between the Chinese community in the north and the local people.
“As known by all, our normal life and business activities are now being greatly affected by this unprecedented epidemic. Needless to say, life is more difficult especially for the less privileged elderly and most vulnerable people,” he said.
He also said: “We fully understand that nobody can stay aloof and indifferent at such an unusual moment. As it goes in our traditional saying, ‘different land, same concern’. Namibia is our second homeland.”