Capricorn Foundation Celebrates Five Years of Positive Change

The Capricorn Foundation marked a significant milestone yesterday as it celebrated five years of impactful community-driven initiatives. Held at the #BeFree Youth Campus in Katutura, the event underscored the foundation’s commitment to social empowerment, economic upliftment, and youth development in Namibia.

The Capricorn Foundation, the corporate social investment arm of Capricorn Group, has spent the past five years funding and supporting sustainable projects across Namibia. By focusing on economic advancement, education, healthcare, and social welfare, the foundation has directly contributed to community transformation, making a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals.

Among the attendees were Veripura Muukua, Capricorn Foundation Coordinator; Marlize Horn, Executive Officer of the Capricorn Foundation; and David Nuyoma, CEO of Capricorn Group. Representatives from beneficiary organisations also shared their experiences, highlighting the impact of the foundation’s work.

Programme Highlights

The event commenced with welcome remarks by Veripura Muukua, who reflected on the foundation’s journey and its vision for the future. Marlize Horn followed with a powerful message emphasising the importance of corporate responsibility in addressing Namibia’s socio-economic challenges.

A key segment of the event was the Projects Overview, where leaders from various partner organisations shared insights into their initiatives:

• Omba Arts Trust: Isabel Katjavivi, Director, spoke on how the support from the foundation means more artisans get to sustain their craft and income because funding from the foundation allowed the trust to expand their reach to provide artisans with materials, training and payment for their work.
• Imago Dei: Millinda Coffee, General Manager, discussed the organisation’s role in vulnerability programmes. She pointed out that their partnership with the foundation, having been funded 9.2 million already, an estimated 2.6 million of that has been used to make impact within various communities through investing in projects.
• Namibia Children’s Heart Trust: Dr. Fenny Shidhika, Founder, spoke about the importance of accessible, equitable and sustainable care healthcare for all Namibians regardless irrespective of socio-economic backgrounds and the most vulnerable among them being children. She mentioned that through support and funding from the foundation, about N$ 1 million has been availed for the care of patients and the acquisition of an ultrasound machine which is used to make diagnosis of extremely complicated conditions further delivering their mandate of providing access to safe and timely medical services.
• Plot to Plate Project: Rikus Grobler, Coordinator, spoke about sustainability programmes that promote food security.
• #BeFree Project, One Economy Foundation: Saddam Biwa, Project Manager, highlighted the role of the partnership with Capricorn Foundation and the One Economy Foundation has proven instrumental in the facilitation of constructing and developing the #BeFree Campus, that has become a beacon of hope for many in the community.
  

Capricorn Group CEO, David Nuyoma, delivered the keynote address, reinforcing the need for collaborative efforts between private and public sectors to ensure sustainable change saying “The Capricorn Foundation was established as the group's main vehicle for corporate social responsibility initiatives. The concept of blended value is delivered through strategic partnerships and collaboration, ensuring that CSR-focused areas and activities remain relevant, supported and sustainable by involving community and government stakeholders."

Keynote address: David Nuyoma, Capricorn Group CEO

Also in attendance was Gondwana Collection Namibia. Through the partnership between the #BeFree Youth Campus and the Gondwana Care Trust, the trust supports community development through education, social welfare, and conservation initiatives. This collaboration will strengthen youth support structures, ensuring that young people have access to resources that foster growth, skills development, and mental well-being.

While the event was a celebration of progress, it also served as a call to action for continued investment in social upliftment. As Namibia grapples with unemployment, poverty, and educational disparities, stakeholders were reminded that partnerships and long-term commitments are essential to achieving lasting change.

The event concluded with a tour of the #BeFree Centre, allowing attendees to witness first-hand the resources and programmes available to young Namibians.

As the Capricorn Foundation enters its next phase, its impact over the past five years serves as a reflection of what the power of strategic investment in social transformation looks like. The message was clear: positive change is possible when businesses, nonprofits, and communities work together towards a common goal.

From left to right: Gys Joubert (MD of Gondwana Collection Namibia), Veripura Muukua (Capricorn Foundation Coordinator) and Zipporah Nandjala (Gondwana Care Trust  Coordinator)