An endless cycle of poverty
The poverty many experienced while growing up is being passed down from generation to generation.
The future looks grim for children growing up in poverty, as their guardians fail to provide for their needs - a situation that forces them to drop out of school, creating an endless poverty cycle.
A Namibian Sun investigation into households in the Okaku constituency in Oshana, which depend on schoolchildren who receive N$250 monthly child grants provided by the government, revealed an endless cycle of poverty.
Anna Sheya, 46, a resident of Oshityani village in the constituency, says she can attest to the poverty cycle in her family.
She said she grew up with a poor grandmother, who hardly provided for her personal needs, which forced her to drop out of school with the aim of looking for employment to start supporting her family.
However, this only worsened the poverty in her family, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
She said fortunately the government gives a monthly social grant for to two of the school-going children in their household, which is used to buy some household items, including food.
She added they have a mahangu field, which produces enough to feed the family.
“Sometime after solving the household needs, there is no more money to provide for these children's personal needs. Every time they come to you to tell you about their personal needs at school, but since there is no money it becomes very stressful. Also with my own experience, it is very discouraging for them and it might force them to leave school as many others have done it already. Every day you are just praying to get Good Samaritans to assist you.”
Alina Efraim, 35, is another unemployed young person heading a household consisting of three school-going children at Ombugayashigunda in the same constituency.
Efraim said she started heading the house in 2005, when her mother died. Like Sheya, she said they also depend on social grants.
“At the moment, the only kind of job I can get is working as domestic worker in a house around our village or in local shebeens as a bar lady. I cannot go far from the house because I have to take care of the children. You always try to make sure the children have food in the house and some to take in their lunch boxes for school. I also take care of their personal needs, which is not easy for me,” Efraim said.
Anna Ndahafa Shilongo, a senior administrative officer at the Oshana regional council's Okaku constituency office, said there are number of houses in their constituency registered as headed by unemployed young people. She said whenever there is social support offered by the government, these are the people who receive first priority.
ILENI NANDJATO
A Namibian Sun investigation into households in the Okaku constituency in Oshana, which depend on schoolchildren who receive N$250 monthly child grants provided by the government, revealed an endless cycle of poverty.
Anna Sheya, 46, a resident of Oshityani village in the constituency, says she can attest to the poverty cycle in her family.
She said she grew up with a poor grandmother, who hardly provided for her personal needs, which forced her to drop out of school with the aim of looking for employment to start supporting her family.
However, this only worsened the poverty in her family, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
She said fortunately the government gives a monthly social grant for to two of the school-going children in their household, which is used to buy some household items, including food.
She added they have a mahangu field, which produces enough to feed the family.
“Sometime after solving the household needs, there is no more money to provide for these children's personal needs. Every time they come to you to tell you about their personal needs at school, but since there is no money it becomes very stressful. Also with my own experience, it is very discouraging for them and it might force them to leave school as many others have done it already. Every day you are just praying to get Good Samaritans to assist you.”
Alina Efraim, 35, is another unemployed young person heading a household consisting of three school-going children at Ombugayashigunda in the same constituency.
Efraim said she started heading the house in 2005, when her mother died. Like Sheya, she said they also depend on social grants.
“At the moment, the only kind of job I can get is working as domestic worker in a house around our village or in local shebeens as a bar lady. I cannot go far from the house because I have to take care of the children. You always try to make sure the children have food in the house and some to take in their lunch boxes for school. I also take care of their personal needs, which is not easy for me,” Efraim said.
Anna Ndahafa Shilongo, a senior administrative officer at the Oshana regional council's Okaku constituency office, said there are number of houses in their constituency registered as headed by unemployed young people. She said whenever there is social support offered by the government, these are the people who receive first priority.
ILENI NANDJATO
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