2015-07-03Staff Report 2 "Epundi Sophia Schlecht shed tears of joy as she embraced her father for the first time after 31 years, when she arrived at the Oshakati Police Station on Wednesday evening for a reunion with her parent. It was an emotional time for both the daughter and her 69-year-old father Olavi Dineinge Shaduka who met her mother in exile. Sophia arrived with her eight-year-old daughter Jaydae Bah. Sophia hails from Monheim am Rhein in Germany where she lives with her two siblings and her mother, a German national. Shaduka last saw his twin-daughters, Sophia and Jeanine when they were only one-month old when his tour in Germany ended in 1984 when he was sent to school by Swapo the then liberation movement. When New Era visited their home on Thursday morning, the father and daughter were still teary as they narrated the journey that led to their first telephonic conversation. “I always had hope that one day I will see my daughters and by the grace of the Lord, one is here today,” reminisced Shaduka. Sophia on the other hand said she has always been asking of her father since she was little and she knew that the day would come when she would reunite with him. When Sophia and her daughter arrived in Windhoek on Wednesday morning, she was eager to see the father and boarded the next public combi en route to the north where her father lives. It was not an easy ride, as the combi rammed a donkey between Omuthiya and Okatope, however not even the scary night or the accident deterred Sophia getting to her home village. “This is really Africa, I slept very well and I am loving my new family and experiences so far,” related Sophia. Father and daughter dragged each other around the house as the father showed his daughter how to perform traditional African chores around the house such as cooking and cleaning. “I want to prepare a meal for you papa,” as Sophia lit a fire around the traditional kitchen area. Sophia and her daughter will be visiting for five weeks and will return again soon with her twin sister Jeanine. Besides the language barrier because Sophia only speaks a little bit of English, she is eager to learn English so that she could to communicate with her family here in Namibia. Despite the language barrier, her daughter is observed playing with the other children in the house. Sophia was treated to cultural festivities and rituals at her Namibian parental home. She has nine siblings in Namibia and two in Germany. Sophia also plans to change her surname to Shaduka soon. " 2015-07-03Staff Report 2
