Inside the social struggles of ‘exile kids’

The suspected suicide of Niita Nujoma last week has brought into focus the social, mental and economic struggles ‘exile kids’ may be enduring – including possible post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the brutal war.

The 37-year-old Nujoma’s lifeless body was found in a riverbed on the outskirts of Windhoek with a slit wrist.

The daughter of labour minister Utoni Nujoma, she is said to have been open about her struggles with depression, with some of her peers telling Namibian Sun that she had even told friends that her body should be cremated should she commit suicide one day.

Her family is said to have agreed to cremate her remains, while her ashes will be scattered at Swakopmund in the coming days.

A number of exile kids – an expression for people born in exile to liberation struggle veterans and refugees during Namibia’s war for independence – have died by suicide or lifestyle diseases closely linked to substance abuse disorders.

There is no suggestion that Nujoma abused substances, but it is understood that she was often unemployed, despite having a well-to-do paternal family.

She is one of founding president Sam Nujoma’s granddaughters, while her father Utoni has many business ventures - according to assets declared in the National Assembly.

Self-soothing

A man born in exile who struggled with alcoholism and depression until three years ago said: “Many of us exile kids drink alcohol to self-soothe because of the trauma that we are still struggling with”.

“I went to rehab with the help of my family, who paid N$30 000 because I did not have a job. I’m lucky to have family that could help, but how many exile kids have that privilege?” the man – who preferred not to be named – said.

“If I’m being honest, many of us became drunkards and that’s because we are a traumatised group.”

He said after the war, many exile kids – some of whom were orphans - were brought back to Namibia and handed over to relatives they did not know.

“We came from Angola, Germany, Cuba and the Czech Republic and were dumped in villages with strangers as our families. We did not get counselling, despite money being availed by the United Nations at the time for this.”

Namibian Sun understands that one exile kid, now an adult from a well-known liberation struggle family, tried taking her own life recently through overdose. She did not succeed and is currently receiving treatment.

“I think it will be unfair to attribute alcoholism and all these issues on exile kids only because that entire generation of Namibians is enduring the same difficulties, but exile kids are affected more – and there’s a history to it,” the man said.

It starts with the elders

Former Namibian Exile Kids Association (Neka) president Benitha Nakaambo said some of the sudden deaths among exile kids stem from deep-rooted trauma passed on from veteran parents to their children.

“It doesn't start with the kids. It starts with the elders. This is because of rehabilitation not taking place already at the entry point when we came back into the country,” she said.

“Our parents are suffering from whatever happened to them, which is unspoken of."

Nakaambo plans to help bridge the gap between exile kids and their parents with a team-building convention slated for 30 September.

"Next thing we know, the children of these exile kids will also go through the exact thing because broken children will raise broken children. We need to deal with it by talking about it, and seeing how we can heal from it.”

Complex trauma

Psychologist Dr Shaun Whittaker echoed these sentiments, saying: “Trauma, complex trauma in particular, is definitely a huge issue in our background. And, of course, I think it does apply to the exile kids".

"I do think that trauma gets passed down from generation to generation, but in a social way through social mechanisms because this is what family members talk about."

There are views in Swapo - which led the liberation struggle - that little attention is being paid to the plight of exile kids now compared to in the past.

“They [exile kids] were doing well in the era of Sam Nujoma, but now their parents are on retirement. They are on their own now, and it’s just very sad what they are going through,” a party member commented.

Nakaambo added: “If you look at some of us who have been privileged enough to go to university, it was as a result of our parents who came back to the country and had an opportunity to work and they were able to send us to school. Some people didn't have that".

Govt assistance

Defence and veteran affairs minister Frans Kapofi said government makes efforts to assist exile kids and their parents.

“The law provides veterans and their dependents support, but not adult dependents. They are not catered for in the law.”

He said the ministry has social workers deployed in many parts of the country to engage the veterans whenever the need arises.

“For the young ones, if there is a case that is presented to us by a veteran parent of a child, we will try to assist; however, we don't have such provision in the law.

"We might not be able to attend to such cases, but we cannot simply just say ‘go [away] with your child,” he said.