Selling grass to make a living
Teen doesn’t see need to go to school
For a community of San people in the Ohangwena Region, going to school and saving money simply aren't options – they need to work and spend the little they earn on necessities.
Sixteen-year-old Teopolina Thomas collects piles of grass for a living. A resident of Oshana-Shiwa in the Ohangwena Region’s Okongo constituency, she lives at one of the four centres where government has resettled San people, and sells the grass for N$30 per pile to farmers.
Thomas does not go to school and apart from drought relief food the community receives “every five months or so”, selling grass is her only means of income.
Often, San people are labelled as lazy and unable to keep jobs, but on a visit to the four centres - Oshana-Shiwa, Onamatadiva, Ekoka and Eendobe – it is clear this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The community members work their fields, with mahangu crops kept in rooms until thrashing can take place. Government - through the lands ministry - provides seeds for harvesting.
When the San people were relocated here, they were also given cattle to encourage them to become farmers.
Although Thomas is of school-going age, she said she does not see the need to keep going to school. She said it would not be beneficial to her, and she would rather work the fields and collect grass for money.
‘Saving is never an option’
Nangula Shimanda (23) joins Thomas in collecting the grass. She too sells her piles for the same price to farmers who visit their centre.
“We get told in advance when the farmers are coming. This is why you see us busy now. We have to collect as much grass as possible so that when they come, we can make just over N$100,” she said.
She added that the money they get is used to supplement the maize meal they get from government for free.
“The maize meal sack does not come with relish. We use this money to buy meat and cooking oil. Sometimes we keep it for medical expenses.
“Saving it is never an option; the needs are too many with little income.”
Shimanda narrated that she had a national identity document, but it was was destroyed in a fire years ago and she has yet to replace it at home affairs. This because a duplicate would cost her N$50.
“It seems little, but if I use the money from the grass to pay for my ID, then we will have to starve that month. I cannot afford to do that,” she said.
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Thomas does not go to school and apart from drought relief food the community receives “every five months or so”, selling grass is her only means of income.
Often, San people are labelled as lazy and unable to keep jobs, but on a visit to the four centres - Oshana-Shiwa, Onamatadiva, Ekoka and Eendobe – it is clear this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The community members work their fields, with mahangu crops kept in rooms until thrashing can take place. Government - through the lands ministry - provides seeds for harvesting.
When the San people were relocated here, they were also given cattle to encourage them to become farmers.
Although Thomas is of school-going age, she said she does not see the need to keep going to school. She said it would not be beneficial to her, and she would rather work the fields and collect grass for money.
‘Saving is never an option’
Nangula Shimanda (23) joins Thomas in collecting the grass. She too sells her piles for the same price to farmers who visit their centre.
“We get told in advance when the farmers are coming. This is why you see us busy now. We have to collect as much grass as possible so that when they come, we can make just over N$100,” she said.
She added that the money they get is used to supplement the maize meal they get from government for free.
“The maize meal sack does not come with relish. We use this money to buy meat and cooking oil. Sometimes we keep it for medical expenses.
“Saving it is never an option; the needs are too many with little income.”
Shimanda narrated that she had a national identity document, but it was was destroyed in a fire years ago and she has yet to replace it at home affairs. This because a duplicate would cost her N$50.
“It seems little, but if I use the money from the grass to pay for my ID, then we will have to starve that month. I cannot afford to do that,” she said.
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