Windhoek
A 51-year-old unemployed woman will start to enjoy the comfort of her newly built shack with her two children. It replaces the old dilapidated one that had a leaking roof.
Hedwig Garoes’ old shack in Okuryangava was demolished and rebuilt, with the assistance of Tobias Hainyeko Councillor Christopher Likuua, the Tobias Hainyeko Swapo Women’s Council (SWC) and members of the local community.
Likuua said he identified seven shacks in the constituency that needed to be rebuilt, financial resources permitting. Through donation from the abovementioned they bought building materials worth N$3 400 and donated food as well.
Garoes, who does not have a bed and has very few belongings, was delighted and thankful for her new shack. “I’m now sleeping peacefully. I couldn’t sleep when it rained, as my blankets got soaked because of the leaking roof,” Garoes said.
She has six children, but only two are living with her; the others left because of the hardship at home. Garoes survives by washing people’s laundry and uses the little income of about N$30 she earns to buy porridge, served with offal and bones for her lunch and dinner.
She cannot take up permanent wor, because she has broken collar as a result of abuse by a previous boyfriend. She says s it swells up after hard labour. She can also only see with one eye.
Likuua described the community’s willingness to rebuild the shack as a symbol of unity and solidarity. “It shows we are in one Namibia,” he said.
To rebuild the other dilapidated shacks Likuua requested businesspeople to donate building materials, food or money, because they have no resources to build with. “We’re doing all this things out of our own pocket,” he said.