In a dusty, floorless cubicle without a bed or proper blankets and enduring freezing temperatures lies 38-year-old Olga Ngolo, who suffers from severe heart and lung diseases. 

She lives with her two daughters, who alongside her are pleading for assistance from good Samaritans to turn around their bleak fortunes. 

This deeply distressing situation sheds light on the immense challenges faced by individuals with complex medical conditions.

Ngolo suffers from a heart and lung ailment that requires her to rely on an oxygen machine for survival. 

At present, the family resides in a dusty, floorless cubicle without a bed or proper blankets, braving Windhoek’s freezing temperatures.

Due to the lack of electricity in their previous residence in Havana, Ngolo and her two young daughters were forced to Windhoek’s Greenwell Matongo informal settlement, where electricity is available to power her life-sustaining machine. 

Her cousin, Justina Abraham, said Ngolo’s living conditions have added a layer of adversity to her already difficult journey.

Alongside her two young daughters, aged 15 and eight, she finds herself suffering terribly. The lack of proper bedding, blankets and insulation exacerbates their difficulties, making it an ongoing struggle to find warmth and respite from the unforgiving elements.

Despite the challenges imposed by her heart and lung condition, Ngolo is a courageous woman who battles whatever life throws at her daily, as if to say, one day, everything is going to be alright. 

“I only had one bed in my house. My other children live there, and I cannot bring a bed here. I am a mother of four children, and they all stay with me. So, the two girls decided to accompany me to provide support and ensure I take the medication as prescribed by the doctor,” Ngolo said. 

The importance of her children’s presence as her main caregivers, she added, cannot be overemphasised. 

As everything appears to be doom and gloom for the family of three, they are now pleading for benevolent support.  

Abraham stressed that Ngolo’s dire living situation highlights the urgent need for assistance. “The harsh reality of their circumstances, coupled with the challenges posed by Ngolo’s medical condition, requires immediate action and compassion from good Samaritans. If she could at least get a bed, it would be better. The cold weather worsens her condition,” she pleaded.

She emphasised that the generosity and kindness of good Samaritans can unchain the family from dire poverty.

For survival, Abraham, who is unemployed, sells kapana. 

What is more, the weight of providing for the family’s accommodation falls on this single income, further underscoring the urgent need for external support to improve their living conditions and ease their financial strain.

Community member Fredrick Hamonika, who has provided Ngolo with some necessities, stated that he has been assisting with rental fees to keep the machine running, but she still requires further help.

Ngolo was diagnosed with heart problems in 2021 when she began experiencing severe coughing. 

She was admitted to the Katutura State Hospital for over a month, and was later discharged with an oxygen concentrator. 

Since then, she has been frequenting the hospital for monitoring and further examinations.

“Now is the time for individuals, organisations and community members to unite and extend a helping hand to Ngolo and her daughters. They desperately need a safe and comfortable living environment, proper bedding, and access to electricity to power her life-saving machine,” said Hamonika.