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A Cup of Soup for Elderly
Surihe Gaomas
June 21, 2005
A warm cup of soup and a piece of bread can be a wholesome and nourishing meal for elderly people, especially during the cold season when temperatures plummet by many inches on the thermometer.
Such a meal could come in handy and is even more appreciated after the endless queues where old people stand for many hours on end with hunger pangs while they patiently wait for their pension payouts.
This is exactly the situation at the Katutura Post Office where every month end, close to 3 000 pensioners line up to collect the monthly N$300 pension.
Coming as early as five o'clock in the morning, most of Katutura's elderly are often too weak with hunger, as they wait for hours for their pension cheques.
"What can I do my dear, if I don't come early then I will get my money so late," said one frail-looking grandmother, as she firmly held her walking stick.
Without any toilet facilities, chairs, shade or drinking water, the tale behind these pensioners is that the waiting turns out to be a desperate situation where hunger is the order of the day for the older citizens of Katutura.
Some are even reluctant to leave the queue to go and buy food, in fear of losing their places and having to stand at the end of it once again.
It is against this background that since June 07, the Kalahari Sands Hotel opened a soup kitchen right at the pay-point to feed the elderly while they wait for their payments.
For the recipients who frequent the Katutura Post Office at the end of every month, this humanitarian move was a welcome gesture.
"Now, I can look forward to a nice cup of soup, because I don't even have time to eat at home," said another grandfather, who woke up as early as four o'clock that morning from his squatter home in Greenwell Matongo.
The initiator of this noble gesture is Pastor Maria //Gowases from the Bethesda Gospel Ministries in Katutura, who has for long been involved in community upliftment work.
Ever since her religious education in 1997, she's had the plight of the elderly citizens close to her heart as they were the most neglected and isolated in society.
"I just felt so sad to see them stand in long queues waiting for their pension money with hunger. This has carried on for too long and something had to be done. That's why I approached the Kalahari Sands Hotel for assistance in starting up a soup kitchen," explains this Good Samaritan who also says she is glad that her prayers have finally been answered.
In light of this, the Kalahari Sands Hotel is currently running a soup kitchen on a continuous basis every week for this vulnerable group of senior citizens.
Events and Incentive Coordinator Benita Gouws told New Era that this initiative is not only geared towards the senior citizens but is also intended for the equally vulnerable street children, who frequently roam around the Shoprite shopping complex in Katutura.
"We are providing 100 litres of soup and fresh rolls of bread to the elderly, the needy and street children every week which is made by our chef," said Gouws.
She appealed to other companies to follow suit. As a result of this kind gesture, several other companies have committed their support through providing the necessary ingredients.
These include Fruit and Veg City, African Marketing, Muller Confectionary and Klein Windhoek Schlachterei.
The aim of this soup kitchen is not to make it a one-off thing, but an ongoing process geared towards feeding vulnerable citizens.
As the saying goes, the elderly have for long been looking after the younger generation, now it is up to us to look after the senior citizens of the country.
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