Dordabis – The sound of laughter and dust fills the air, as a group of children at the settlement of Dordabis play soccer in the streets. Amongst them is 11-year-old Timotrio !Auxab.
Like any other child his age in the area, he enjoys roaming the streets, getting dirty and playing until the sun sets.
A lover of sports and school, this third grader lives his life to the fullest, but unlike his peers, Timotrio lives with a leg deformity, which makes it hard to stand or walk. Born physically challenged, the odds seemed stacked against Timotrio.
But this does not stop the pre-teen from not only dreaming about a better future, but also using his upper body to live a normal life.
“He is full of energy and loves playing. He is very responsible, and does his chores like everyone else,” says his mother Justine !Auxas, who has four other children.
She added that Timotrio’s disability does not stop him from being like any other child.
“You will find him playing soccer somewhere,” said the mother.
Using his hands and upper body, Timotrio is not only an avid soccer player, but also takes part in athletics at school, where he competes with able-bodied children. Other than sport, !Auxas says her son does exceptionally well in school, something Life Skills teacher at the Dordabis Primary School Hermine Katjipuka agrees with in awe.
“He is a hard worker and is brilliant,”
she said. The seemingly shy Timotrio added: “My favourite subjects are English and Mathematics.” Despite being able to move freely with his arms, the boy has a wheelchair, which was donated to him by a good Samaritan.
“I push him to school before his father or myself would carry him,” says !Auxas. Timotrio’s mother is unemployed, while his father does odd jobs in the surrounding area in order to eke out a living. The boy receives a disability grant of N$250 every month. However, !Auxas wishes it could be more, as this would assist at home.
Despite the odds, Timotrio dreams of a better future as his mother narrated how he would tell the family that one day, they will visit him in his big office. He also wants to become a doctor. But like any other child, his future career changes every other day, and last week, he wanted to become a police officer as well.