St Mary's Cathedral Parish in Windhoek, Namibia

Shirley Handura (Regional President)..........Chiedza Maxwell (Vice President)..........Felicitas Mbazima (President)
In September 2006 a second branch of the CWL was dedicated in St Boniface Parish,Pioneerspark, Windhoek.
CWL Projects:
a) Cristofinas Care Centre: Greenwell Matonga
Mother (Cristofina) started the Kindergarten. In time, some of the children were never picked up by their parents or the mothers passed away and there was nobody willing to take care of them. Cristofina passed away but today the daughters Salina and Lentina Hoxobes care for 18 (Aids)-orphans. 10 of the children are now at school. Although functioning as a kindergarten, the parents of eight children attending in the first term of this year did not pay any fees (the fees are N$50.00/month) and moved their children to another crèche in the second term. The children still had to be fed during the day for four months. There are another 5 children (siblings from 2 families) attending the crèche by day but their mothers are so sick that they are expecting to have to take care of them soon as well. The only income they have is that of the father, who is a driver. The Catholic Women's League of St Mary's Cathedral supports them with a food parcel once a month and pays their water bill. The CWL also sponsored an advanced course in Early Childhood Development for Lentina.
b) Emmi Veldskoen started a Kindergarten (Near Ramatex) in 2005 after she did an introductory course in Early Childhood Development. She also lives in a very poor area. Most of the parents cannot care for their children and she has taken it on herself to get them to school etc. She also has about 18 children, of which most do have family, but often cannot pay or are to sick to look after their children. Seven of them now go to school. Emmi's husband has got TB and is unemployed. The community does help them - one family takes the children once a week to feed them and give Emmi a break. She keeps a vegetable garden going. The CWL sponsored an advanced course in Early Childhood Development, because Emmi shows great aptitude and interest in furthering the children in her care. The CWL is supporting them with a monthly food parcel and has built a schoolroom.
c) In addition six families are assisted with a food parcel once a month. The school-going children are provided with basic stationary at the beginning of the year. Where necessary, we assist with school uniform or school fees.
The CWL generates funds with functions like regular cake sales, advent market and the like. This year we launched the Christmas tree project. Cards with the names, age and gender of the children in our projects are hung on a tree. The parishioners are invited to take a card, buy a gift, toiletries or stationary for that child and return the gift to the church with the name attached. Those who would like to make a money donation can take an envelope and place it into a "school house". This will surely help to alleviate a great need and will help us save our funds for things needed later.