Murder that changed the community for the better

A GROUP of young people at Walvis Bay have made history by setting up a community trust to assist community members who are struggling financially.

The Johannes Shikoyeni Community Trust was started by Frieda Shikoyeni four years ago in memory of her brother Johannes Natangwe Shikoyeni, who was murdered at the town in 2001 when he was 15 years old. Frieda Shikoyeni, who was 13 years old at the time of her brother's death, said some community members who visited her at home to offer comfort and prayers had moved her. Frieda said she understood what community was, and how important it was to be part of one, when she was at university. “My family wanted to thank the Walvis Bay and Oranjemund communities and Namibia at large for all their support,” she said. “We also wanted to keep my brother's memory alive, so his friends and family started this community trust,” she explained. The trust aims to identify challenges in their community and to find solutions. Since the establishment of the trust, members have organised various activities, such as giving an opportunity to talented youth to showcase their dance skills. The trust also started the Big Minds Book Drive, through which they distribute school materials to various primary schools at Walvis Bay. Also, they started a birthday surprise programme in which they deliver cakes to children at a literacy centre on their birthdays. In 2014, the group which caters for all ages established a social network programme – 'Poetic Healing' – where young adults come to share their poems. The programme started with three poets and 15 audience members, and now accommodates musicians and comedians from across Namibia.