Schools are a major contributor to Bank Windhoek’s Cancer Apple Project

Apples for a good cause
Tunohole Mungoba
A total of 603 schools participated in this year’s Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project, which has once again raised N$3 million in aid of the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN). This was recently revealed at the funds handover function held in Windhoek.

The schools took part in their respective category and shared the prize money of N$45 000. Combined, they sold more than 350 000 apples. Each winning school received a cash prize of N$7000, while second and third place received N$5 000 and N$3000 respectively. The prizes were given in the categories of Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary and Combined Schools.

I Can Do It won the Pre-Primary Schools category followed by Klouterskool and Kelkiewyn in second and third place. The Primary Schools category belonged to Deutsche Privatschule Otavi who won it ahead of Deutsche Privatschule Grootfontein and Privatschule Otjiwarongo.

Privaatskool Excelsior, El Shaddai High School and Berg-Op Akademie were the top three school in the Secondary Schools categories. In the Combined Schools classification, Edugate Academy won the first prize as the second and third prizes went to West Coast Edu-Centre and Grootfontein Agri College respectively.

To give the smallest school a chance to win one of the top three prizes, the average between the number of apples ordered and the number of learners at a school are always audited by one of the project partners, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Schools have participated in the Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project since its inception 18 years ago. Their contribution has made the Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project one of the biggest Corporate Social Responsibility ventures which has raised in excess of N$20 million since the beginning. This year, the Project also received international recognition as an innovative fundraising initiative when it was presented as an abstract at the 2018 World Cancer Congress in Malaysia.

With Bank Windhoek as the main sponsor, the Project taps into the charitable nature of ordinary Namibians who are willing to buy an apple for N$5 and become a symbol of hope for those living with cancer. The collected funds amongst others, enables the CAN to reach out and screen Namibians from all walks of life at no cost.

“The schools contributions towards the Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project, are tremendous and we thank the Ministry of Education, the teachers, learners and their parents for their unwavering support over the years. This dedication has ensured the resounding success of the Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project thus far,” said Bank Windhoek’s Head of corporate Affairs, Hayley Allen.

The aim of the Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project is to create cancer awareness and educate Namibians to protect themselves against the disease.