2016-07-08Staff Report 2 Farm Ongombo West Forty-three year old Helenika Eises languishes in poverty and has lost all hope her five-year-old disabled boy will ever get assistance from government. Eises, who spoke to New Era on Wednesday through a translator, says since 2010 she has been sent from pillar to post by government officials and she has now lost hope that she will ever get any assistance from government. According her son’s medical report, Franco Eiseb, 5, who is in a wheelchair is diagnosed with a rare medical and physical disability. He is unable to talk, walk or even eat properly. In the absence of the social grant of N$350, she is unable to travel regularly for medical check-ups to Windhoek. “Sometimes it takes me days to get to Windhoek because I can’t simply find a lift to,” she said. “Government officials have been requesting so much information. Bring this form, bring that form and I have never been to school and I don’t even understand them at times,” lamented the poverty-stricken woman, who was resettled on the farm by government in 2008. Eises mostly survives from handouts from neighbours and is pleading with anyone to help her with food, or even clothing. She said to used to survive from the drought relief food they received, but since April they have not received anything. “I’m struggling. I cannot go to work because I have to take care of Franco 24 hours a day and I do not have the means,” said the mother of seven. She said the only assistance she gets is from Franco’s father, who is a labourer in Okahandja, but it is barely enough to sustain her household. “Franco needs special care and to give him that special care one needs money, which I don’t have,” she stressed. Eises hopes government will one day approve her social grant application, so that she can take better care of Franco. Ongombo West is situated about 50 km west of Windhoek in the Windhoek Rural Constituency. 2016-07-08Staff Report 2
