Life on the outskirts of Windhoek

2024-07-052024-07-05By Correspondent

Limba Mupetami

Life on the outskirts of Windhoek, particularly in informal settlements such as Havana, Kilimanjaro, Okuryangava, Ombili, and Babylon, is marked by resilience and resourcefulness. Many residents face daily challenges yet find ways to keep themselves busy and maintain their households.

Some enjoy laundry and cooking, others keep themselves busy with informal work despite limited resources, residents engage in various forms of informal work.

There are pressing challenges like lack of proper sanitation, but despite these struggles, a strong sense of community prevails. These journalists visited these areas yesterday and captured some of the moments.

No units, no water… A resident of Ombili, Sjubeyda Vries collects water. Vries said that her family uses water for bathing and cooking. At times she ends up taking a shower at work because washing her body in a basin three months in a row is not sufficient. “Sometimes I just feel like I’m still dirty. We re-use the water that someone has already bathed in,” says Vries. She adds that sanitation in the area is also just as bad. “People defecate anywhere. It smells so bad but what can we do?” she asked.

Street salon… Two ladies were spotted braiding each other’s hair in Okuryangava, immersed in the moment and seemingly without a care in the world. Their casual conversation filled the air, reflecting a sense of relaxation. The simple act of braiding each other’s hair highlighted the bond between them. -lmupetami@nepc.com.na

Same pot… A man walks past a house where ‘tripe’ is being dried for later use. Most people dry their meat as they don’t have electricity or own fridges to keep food. Photos: Limba Mupetami

Risky… A resident of Ombili known as ‘Meme Maria’ said life is not all rosy as they are struggling with sanitation. On Mondays and Thursdays, the City of Windhoek picks up the piles of rubbish in the area. She said that they don’t turn up at times and they collect and burn the rubbish themselves with the fumes created by the fires making them sick. “The children are mostly affected. My son had a rash and cough for months and so did my neighbour’s child. All I can really say is that no one cares about us in Ombili. It’s like this is our punishment for living here,” she adds.

Place of business… Some of the makeshift toilets are in riverbeds. The fact that many residents find the most obvious solution for the lack of proper facilities and simply look for an outdoor space to relieve themselves, however, poses further threats to them. Sjubeyda Vries narrates that most of the time it’s unsafe to walk to the river when nature calls. While you are lying in your shack, you can hear someone urinating outside your door. “Whether it’s day or night, it’s unsafe to walk to the river alone. Women and children are getting raped.” Another neighbour, Paulus Lukas, confirms the high crime rate against women when they are on their way to do their business in the bushes or rivers. “The rivers are a hotspot for crime, particularly rapists. Women and children are not safe,” she said.

Greet the dawn in Kilimanjaro… Yesterday morning, a bare-chested man rose early to greet the dawn in Kilimanjaro. He stepped outside, stretching his arms wide to embrace the first rays of the sun. He stood in the sun, soaking in the tranquility before the day’s demands began.

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