OKANDJE – A family of three from Ongwediva constituency has been left destitute after their homestead, including the mahangu storage, was destroyed in a fire. 

Petrina Nghishiiko, a 49-year-old woman from Okandje village, said her eight-year-old grandchild accidentally started the blaze while playing with matches. 

The fire quickly spread to other thatched huts and food storages, reducing everything to ashes. 

“All the omahangu I had stored was destroyed. Nothing was spared,” she lamented. 

Nghishiiko added that since Tuesday afternoon, when the fire gutted their home, the family has survived on food handouts from neighbours. 

“The bed and all our clothing were also burned, leaving us with nothing but the clothes we had on. I am asking for any assistance from the public – anything that can help us get back on our feet again,” she pleaded. 

Her neighbour Eunice Simon, who rushed to the scene, said the fire was overwhelming. 

“By the time we came to help, the flames had already spread to the other huts. We could only watch helplessly,” she said. 

Another villager, Laimi Nghifikali, expressed sympathy for Nghishiiko’s loss. 

“It is painful to see a family lose everything in such a short time. We are trying as a community to give them what little we can, but she really needs more support,” she said. 

Attempts to reach Ongwediva constituency councillor Andreas Uutoni for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone went unanswered. 

Ordinarily, constituency councillors’ offices coordinate with disaster risk management officials and local leaders to provide emergency relief such as tents, food parcels and blankets to families affected by similar circumstances.