The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) handed over a children’s playground as well as winter clothing to the community of Five Rand Camp in Okahandja last week.

The construction of the playground was done by the 2012 Youth Leadership Development Programme Participants (YLDP) at the Ileni Tulikwatheleni Centre and was completed on Saturday, 16 June. The project was initiated when FES and its members saw a need to offer the children of Five Rand camp a place where they could play and enjoy the beauty of being children.  Present at the event was Swapo MP, Juliette Kavetuna, who encouraged the youth of Five Rand community to join hands and work together to ensure a better life for themselves.

“The youth should always be allowed to play and have fun at safe areas like the Ileni Tulikwatheleni Centre. It now has a beautiful and colourful playground. This will create wonderful memories for you and our country,” Kavetuna said. She further requested the youth to look after their newly constructed playground. Namvula Ankama, a participant of the 2012 YLDP revealed that before the playground was revamped, children would simply hang around trying to find means of keeping busy.

“The new playground is a great initiative because it has offered the children in the Five Rand community a place where they could play with friends, have positive fun and create wonderful memories for themselves,” she said. Ankama further said, “Children are the future leaders of the world. They should be treated well and having a playground, decent meals, shelter, love, care and clothing allows them to enjoy their youthfulness and make our country a better tomorrow.”