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Who Was Sanna //Garoës?

Home Archived Who Was Sanna //Garoës?

By Surihe Gaomas and Anna Shilongo KALKRAND The late Sanna Helena //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s was affectionately nicknamed “Basters” for her light complexion due to her late father Gustav Stein’s Baster origins from //Khub village between Mariental and Kalkrand. A free-spirited person, the 36-year-old woman, who fell victim to a gruesome murder, was known to friends and family as fun-loving and adventurous . Born in //Khub village on December 14, 1970, //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s comes from a poor family of eight siblings, being the fourth child. When New Era visited the bereaved family yesterday in Kalkrand, a life story unfolded of a young woman who was eager to find a job in the city to support her family. “She was a loving person, she would go to Windhoek and come back home with some money for food for us here at home,” said her mother 66-year-old Lena Engelbrecht as she sat on the bed clasping her hands as though in prayer. The late //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s was the mother of two children, 19-year-old daughter Hulda and five-year-old son Manfred. They both live with their grandmother in a small shack. Engelbrecht related the story of how her daughter grew up. As a family originally from //Khub village, they migrated to Kalkrand in 1990. While searching for a job in the city her life was unfortunately cut short and parts of her body scattered around Windhoek last month. When she was born she naturally received the name of her aunt, Pastor Sanna //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s who put her through school until she dropped out of Grade 6 due to pregnancy. “I brought her up ever since she was seven years old,” said Pastor //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s. “She was with me everywhere I stayed. First, we went to Walvis Bay, then LÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¼deritz, Khorixas and later Kalkrand. She was very obedient, but then as a free spirit she went along with the ways of life on her own as she grew older,” said the aunt. She added that although many knew the deceased as Basters, she would affectionately call her “Mibagus” which in Damara/Nama means “I have been told” that a girl is born into the family. “She was my Mibagus,” said the heartbroken aunt softly as she gently tapped the kitchen table. “I want to know from the killer why he killed my Mibagus,” she questioned. Through the years, the late //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s made friends in the city and even had the rare opportunity to visit Germany in 1998. “She was a people’s person and loved to travel. How can someone kill my sister that way,” said her sister 23-year-old Diana Engelbrecht. During the interview, Diana had an epileptic attack, while her mother quickly calmed her down with prayers. The family said she has been getting these attacks more frequently since the sister’s gruesome death. “I am getting support from my friends and family, women from the gospel church are also mourning with me, they are always here holding prayers,” she said. As a sign of spiritual support during their time of grief the Evangelical Lutheran Church will be holding a prayer service for the late Sanna //GaroÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚«s tomorrow evening in Kalkrand.