MARIENTAL – The adage that “one man’s trash is another’s treasure”, sadly, is true for several destitute Mariental residents who have found refuge at a dumpsite, where others discard rubbish.
Here, at the Mariental dumpsite in the Hardap region, a group of destitute individuals confront hunger, have limited access to appropriate nutrition, and live in difficult conditions, including sleeping in the cold.
Lacking essentials like food, housing, and clothing, the conditions underscore major social and economic issues that require attention and humanitarian action.
It is Tuesday afternoon, and Petrus Dausab (62) was making firewood at his home, at the Mariental municipality dumpsite, when our crew visited.
Surrounded by a mountain of trash, he was operating on an empty stomach, hoping that a car would appear to dump something to fill his stomach before entering his makeshift dwelling, fashioned out of cardboard boxes, plastics and old tyres.
“I have been living here for about six years since my house burned down in 2019. Life is very hard. I sleep here in this cold. I have nowhere to go,” said Dausab.
In addition, his documents were burned resulting in him not receiving the government’s old-age pension, he said.
He said if he were receiving the N$1 400 monthly old age grant, his life would be way better than the current circumstances.
Dausab has no children, and relies on the aid of children on the site.
Even children as young as five years-old were observed scouring the dumpsite; however, only a few sleep there. The majority simply go to the area in the morning in search of food and scrap metals to sell.
Business
The group survives by selling recyclable scrap for N$10 or N$20, depending on what the prospective buyer offers.
But sales have declined, which has worsened their living conditions, they say.
Our team found minors, some running around playfully, others scouting around. Adults, mostly young men, were in deep thought about how to feed their families for the night.
Another man, Henry Gariseb (41), said he has two children. He narrated that he also sleeps on the site sometimes, and sells recycled metal for a living.
With the little he makes, Gariseb is able to at least take care of one of his school-going children.
Another dweller at the dumpsite is Leonard Hendrik.
Hendrik is 25. He said his parents died in 2010.
“Life has been tough since I lost my parents. I had to drop out of school. I joined the site when I was 19, because I could not get any job,” he shared his
misery.
The Hardap region is one of the regions hardest hit by drought and food insecurity.
“It’s never ideal for people to live in dumpsites. They need houses and other services. The regional government is working around the clock to address these and other matters of concern,” said Hardap governor Salomon April.
He already shared with this publication last month that the state of drought in his region is dire, and even the relief from the government might not be enough.
As the region is highly-reliant on agriculture as the main economic activity, April said, households are left scratching their heads due to low crop production and scarcity of water.
“We are barely surviving,” said the governor at the time.
He also suggested more assistance from external entities, as that is the only way people will survive. Hardap is home to over 106 000 people, according to the latest population statistics.