Otja Kahijambua
On 21 January 2023 Saturday, 50 residents of Otjiwarongo informal settlement received Hippo Water Rollers (HWR) and water with the value of 100 Namibian dollars on their water cards that is expected to run for about two to three months or more.
The 50 Hippo Water Rollers worth’s 150 000 Namibian dollars was donated by Ignatius David through Otjiwarongo regional council. Each house received a 90 liters water roller.
Speaking at handover, David the founder of ‘Hippo Water Rollers for Otjiwarongo Community Project’ stated that it was not something important for him until he moved out of his mother’s house to the informal settlement, that’s when he started to realize how difficult it was to get a cup of water to drink. And, that is when the project was born, although the project was already existing in South Africa.
David narrated his story on what drove him to get his own HWR, he decided to buy a HWR from his employer in Namibia at Cheetah Conservation Fund Otjiwarongo, for his wife in 2014 who always complained about back pain. Adding that he went through thick and thin to bring this on the table.
“The sponsors are my friends around the world that I studied and worked with, the US Embassy through their Ambassador self-help grand and the Regional Council in their capacity as the leadership that assist me with water but most of the money came from us my kids selling cookies at home and from my friends who went back to their countries” he stated.
According to His Worship Mayor of Otjiwarongo, Gottlieb Shivute, he had a wheelchair that he threw away and a gentleman picked it up and he asked him what is he going to use the broken chair for, he said he is going to use the wheels to make a trollies for fetching water. With those words Shivute was left in shock and he got to know that people in Otjiwarongo’s informal settlements are in need of rollers to make it easier to fetch water.
“It is a very important and good initiative from the project of HWR. We are encouraging all the Otjiwarongo residents to visit our offices for any idea of this kind. It is not only David that can help, but you too can help the community”, he encouraged.
In addition the Otjiwarongo regional Councilor, Marlayn Mbakera, stated that she never knew or heard about the HWR until David’s came to her office and explain how good the HWR is.
Mbakera emphasized that leaders are not sleeping, but they are awake all the time.
With the challenges and laws in the country, she is calling on people to have patience whenever they apply for any development activities.
“We cannot break the law of our country, as leaders we have to follow and abide to the rules as presented to us. Therefore, this is the only way that we can help our recipients in the right way and right format. In other countries people are fighting for service delivery, to us we can say we are lucky to have ministries that are helping us and people like David who care for us” said Mbakera.
Mbakera congratulated David for the great job he has done for the community. Adding that he (David) is an extraordinary person in the community. “If only we can have more David’s in our constituency we could not suffer. If you have ideas please share with others and try to inspire them”.
Heinrich Herunga, a grade 12 learner at Paresis Secondary School, who came to collect their water roller on behalf of his grandmother thanked Mr. David for coming up with the great idea.
“It was difficult for me to study all those years and fetching water continuously. I am pleased that I can now stay for two to three days without fetching water”, said Herunga.
Although it was not easy Herunga managed to make it last in Ordinary level to AS level.
All inhabitants who flocked in applauded David for what he has done for them.
