An orphan, whose academic results caused an outpouring of assistance when this newspaper ran a story on her plight early last year, has been asked to return some of the items and support good Samaritans gave her.

Lavinia Hautoni’s story touched many people’s hearts last year when New Era reported on her sad predicament in which she was hopelessly languishing at home, despite having matriculated with 38 points in grade 12. 

Hautoni is an orphan, who lives with her elderly grandmother.

Hearts were shattered since news broke that Hautoni, who rose to become a beacon of hope for many struggling and vulnerable youth, has dropped out of university and sells tombo at a cuca shop. 

She is now also a mother of a one-year-old boy.

However, Hilya Kambonde, one of the first people to assist Hautoni to get into university and further lobbied for more assistance, expressed her disappointment, saying Hautoni deceived them because she never came forth to update those who helped her. 

“Firstly, it was the baby. We let it go because everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance. Then came the results. She kept it a secret,” said Kambonde.

“Then she drops out of varsity; still, she doesn’t communicate. Yet, we have made countless attempts to find out her whereabouts, but we couldn’t because all our numbers were blocked. In addition, she failed to make efforts to return calls or messages.”

Kambonde added they have been made to believe that Hautoni’s current situation is a self orchestrated one, which she did with a clear conscious. 

“We all got ghosted, including the teacher who played a major role to make sure we know of Lavinia’s plight last year,” she said.

The sponsors have since withdrawn their aid and have demanded Hautoni returns the laptop, internet device and a printer she received for school purposes. 

“That is a collective decision – and we will, therefore, get our things back and find another committed student to help. We can no longer deal with such a deceitful person. Unfortunately, she has depleted all her precious chances,” she added. 

Great support

Her dream of wanting to be an engineer was welcomed with open arms from the length and breadth of the nation, who immediately pulled resources together to accord her the opportunity of excelling in life. 

Money was put together and she was enrolled at the University of Namibia on the eve of the end of registration. 

Efforts continued as many committed monthly allowances for cosmetics, taxi fare as well as accommodation, where she stayed without paying a penny. 

Therefore, many felt deceived when the news broke recently that Hautoni dropped out of university and has resorted to selling at a cuca shop at her village, Ohaiyanda, in the Oshikoto region. 

On top of that, her sponsors say they were under the impression she was still enrolled; hence, they continued supporting her. 

They are further claiming they had no access to Hautoni, as their mobile phones were seemingly blocked, claims which she now disputes, although she has no explanation why she did not update the people who are supporting her. 

Second chance

Meanwhile, New Era recently caught up with Hautoni to hear from the horse’s mouth on what transpired for her to quit university.

“I tried to register this year, but I didn’t manage because I wanted to change courses from engineering to education. It is not that I do not want to attend school anymore as being alluded to by many,” she said while pleading for support for a second time from good Samaritans.

Hautoni received a loan from Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) last year and got a refund of N$17 000, she told this publication. 

She also said she failed a couple of modules; hence, she could not proceed to second year. 

“After I failed to make it to second year, I told myself it was maybe best to change to education, which might be easy. It is a pity that I couldn’t go through as I was told the education faculty was already full,” she added.

Hautoni begged this publication to advance her request for another chance. 

Meanwhile, her former teacher Ndapewa Joseph, who is among those who assisted Hautoni to realise a better future, has also thrown in the towel for the same reason as her benefactors. 

“The school is a stone’s throw from her house and the cuca shops but she knowingly chose not to tell any of us regarding her situation. I made several attempts during the registration time, encouraging her to apply – and she told me everything was under control. So, it hurts to see her coming back into this undesirable situation; all we wanted is the best for her, and she chose this route,” said Joseph.

Hautoni, however, kept on saying she will not throw her life down the drain.

 “I have made mistakes but I am determined to change that,” she said.