Havana’s community hero

Martha Festus (23), born in Omalaala, a small village in the Oshana Region, was raised in the "dusty streets of Havana", an informal settlement in Windhoek.Havana is one of Windhoek's poorest informal settlements and was named after the capital city of Cuba. It was founded roughly two decades ago, when Windhoek underwent rapid urbanisation as a result of many people migrating to the capital city in search of a better way of life and jobs.Havana is inhabited by people who have little to no means of income and rely primarily on small-scale businesses such as selling foods and home-based stores to supplement their basic necessities.Help givenIn light of the challenges faced by her community, Festus undertook to assist the needy by delivering warm meals to not only youngsters but also pregnant women and the elderly."The majority of these kids are less fortunate, and some are orphans," she explains. She started the feeding programme in 2019, serving food to seven children."Today we have over 300 children, with the number continuing to grow."She is not only the founder of the Porridge Storage Soup Kitchen but also the KeepAGirlinSchool Nam project.Festus, who describes herself as an entrepreneur, was recently awarded a prize for her humanitarian work.Poverty rife According to statistics, 51.3% of Namibian youngsters are impoverished.This means that more than half of Namibia's children are poor, while 43.3% of the country's entire population is impoverished.Festus founded the KeepAGirlinSchool Nam project in 2020, a project aimed at addressing period poverty among schoolgoing girls."The young ladies from my neighbourhood (Havana) would always approach me in the hopes of receiving aid (pads) from me; I only felt fit to assist them in this regard as well."In addition to providing sanitary products, Festus also educates the girls on health and cleanliness and provides tips for life after school.Festus' initiative has reached 14 schools around Windhoek and one outside school to date. Support welcomedFestus underscored that her programmes rely heavily on financial assistance from various organisations. She thanked Deloitte, Metro, Roundtable Hochland, and enterprises such as Sai's Kitchen as key contributors in her efforts to keep her initiatives alive.She said any donations and assistance will be welcomed, and she lives by the quote, "Nothing is ever too small for charity.""My journey has only just begun; I am well aware of the horrific situations that some children are subjected to, but I have faith in my capacity to one day create a safe haven for anyone who is in desperate need of it."

Havana’s community hero

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Republikein 2026-06-19

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Havana’s community hero

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Republikein 2026-06-19

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