Capricorn Group employees, through the
ChangeMakers employee volunteer programme, returned to the Windhoek Mental
Health Centre on World Food Day, 16 October 2026, to enhance and maintain the
Garden of Hope, a project established in partnership with the Centre in 2025.
The initiative forms part of Capricorn Group's ongoing commitment to creating
positive social impact through employee volunteerism and community
partnerships.
The Garden of Hope was created as a
space that promotes hope, growth, care and renewal for patients at the Windhoek
Mental Health Centre. This year's outreach focused on building on the
foundation laid by employees last year and further improving the garden as a
space that supports wellbeing and healing. This year, the Ministry of
Environment, Forestry and Tourism again partnered with Capricorn Group to
donate a variety of fruit trees to the garden.
Speaking at the event, Group Chief Brand
and Corporate Affairs Officer, Marlize Horn,
said the project reflects Capricorn Group's purpose of being Connectors of
Positive Change.
"When we created this garden, we
wanted it to be more than simply a physical space. We wanted it to represent
hope, growth, care and renewal. Today, as our ChangeMakers work together to
enhance the garden and build on what was started last year, we are
demonstrating something that sits at the heart of our purpose at Capricorn
Group, which is creating positive change that is meaningful and lasting.",
said Marlize Horn
She noted that the timing of the
outreach was particularly significant as it coincided with World Food Day and
the month during which World Mental Health Day is observed. She said the
initiative highlighted the important connection between physical and mental
wellbeing, with the Garden of Hope serving as both a source of nourishment and
a space that promotes dignity, purpose and healing. By creating and maintaining
environments that encourage growth and connection, organisations and
communities can play a meaningful role in supporting overall wellbeing.
"Mental wellbeing is an essential
part of overall wellbeing, and spaces that encourage connection, purpose,
dignity and hope can play an important role in creating supportive
communities."
Welcoming the volunteers, Dr Ndjaba,
Head of the Windhoek Central Hospital Mental Health
Centre, thanked Capricorn Group for its continued support of
the Garden of Hope initiative. "We are grateful to
Capricorn for returning to support the improvement of our Garden of Hope.
Mental health challenges can affect anyone, and initiatives like this garden
promote wellbeing not only among our patients but also among staff by providing
a calming and restorative environment. We truly appreciate this continued
support and the positive difference it makes in our hospital community,” said
Dr Ndjaba.
The ChangeMakers programme provides
Capricorn Group employees with opportunities to contribute their time, skills
and energy to initiatives that positively impact communities across Namibia.
The Garden of Hope project demonstrates how collective action and long-term
partnerships can help create spaces that support wellbeing and foster a sense
of hope and belonging.
As employees worked together in the
garden, the outreach served as a reminder that meaningful change often grows
from small actions sustained over time, much like a garden itself.
