By Mbatjiua Ngavirue
GAM
The growing crisis of destitute orphans with no means of feeding, clothing and educating themselves has the potential to tear the social fabric of the country apart – with unknown long-term consequences.
Almost as worrying as child-headed households is the growing crisis of elderly pensioners, and unemployed middle-aged parents, caring for their orphaned grandchildren.
Monica David (74) of Grootfontein has the almost impossible task of caring for 10 orphans of her own daughters that have all passed away.
She only receives a grant for one of the children whose father authorities have legally declared deceased.
The Government has registered another orphan for grants, but she has so far not received any money for that child.
Officials have refused to register the other eight remaining children, arguing they need to know the status of the surviving fathers first even though it is impossible to trace any of them.
Together with her surviving children, 17 family members are crammed into a two-bedroom house in Omulunga township.
But the worst of the family’s problems has only just begun, because she retired from employment on July 30 this year.
She cannot apply for casual work at the Grootfontein municipality because she cannot afford the N$38,70 tender form applicants have to submit.
If they eat at all, the meal consists of maize-meal porridge with wild spinach, and very rarely a piece of meat.
MP Peya Mushelenga has urged social workers to urgently attend to the family’s problems before they start falling into debt, saying prevention is better than cure.
Katrina Ndauendapo (73) of Otjiwarongo finds herself having to single-handedly care for two grandchildren at her frail age after first her daughter passed away in January, and then later the father.
She struggles to meet the needs of grandchildren Getrude (13) and Joel (16) such as food and clothing on her own meagre social pension.
Ndauendapo currently only receives a government social grant of N$2 000 for one of the two children.
She passionately pleaded with the Government to increase the amount paid as pensions and social grants.
Rosalia Festus (48) has a while to go before she becomes as old and frail as David and Ndauendapo, but that does not necessarily make her life easy.
Rosalia is caregiver to seven orphans, six of whom are her own children and one a niece.
Her own children qualify as orphans (‘single orphans’) on the grounds of being under 18 and having lost their father who was the main breadwinner, while the niece is a so-called ‘double orphan’.
She at least receives government grants for all seven children, but no one should imagine this has landed her in riches.
The children receive government grants because they are under 18 and she is unemployed or earns less than N$500 a month.
No one should however imagine the government grants have landed her in riches.
The government pays grants on a reducing scale, with N$200 for the first child and then lesser amounts for each additional child.
In the end, this means that she receives no more than N$600 to maintain a household of eight.
An additional disaster befell her on June 23 when a shack fire burned the family’s entire residence to the ground.
Some American good Samaritans however donated zinc sheets to help her rebuild the family home.
She deposits money in advance with schools for the children’s school fees so she is not caught short when fees become due.
“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare must support her through its programmes because she is a good role model,” Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social and Community Development Elia Kaiyamo said.
Parliamentarian Chief Ankama became concerned that people create a false impression that only foreign NGOs assist Namibians facing the harsh realities of poverty and destitution.
He repeatedly emphasised that Government has a wide range of programmes in place to deal with the emergency of orphans and vulnerable groups.
Kaiyamo said the whole purpose of the committee’s outreach programme was to make sure government officials implement these programmes effectively.