Windhoek
After begging and doing odd jobs for about three months on the streets of Windhoek the homeless 52-year-old Allan Roy Adams, from Cape Town, is now safely back in South Africa.
His family, who had lost contact with him, came across a New Era article late last year in which his plight featured.
He particularly caught the attention of many as it is relatively rare to find white beggars on Namibian streets.
Although born in Namibia where he spent his childhood, Adams has lived most of his life in Cape Town where his family also resides.
A former train driver he came to Namibia last year in September with hopes of getting a job but he soon ended up on the streets as the money he had ran out.
Adams soon depended on handouts to survive. He mostly hung around a shopping centre in Southern Industria, where he became a beggar.
The destitute man arrived in Cape Town two weeks ago and has since reportedly been doing well. “He is doing well. He’s living with me,” said Adams’ brother, William (Adams).
William also expressed gratitude to New Era for running the initial story about his brother as they had lost contact with him.
“We’re extremely grateful,” said an appreciative William, who spoke in a telephonic interview from his workplace in Cape Town.
When New Era visited Adams one evening at the shopping centre where he spent most of his time last November, it was not well with him.
“I am not doing that well. It’s been very tough staying here. But I must say honestly if it weren’t for the black people I would have committed suicide,” he told us then.
“It’s the black people that stole my stuff but they are also now helping me,” said Adams, relating that a briefcase containing essential documents such as his South African passport and identity documents were stolen at Zoo Park while he was having a snack.