Social distancing not an option for poorest

JANA-MARI SMITHWINDHOEKStaying home and washing your hands frequently is a privilege many Namibians confined to informal settlements cannot afford amidst a lack of indoor plumbing, meagre indoor spaces and little to no daily income. Taxi driver Mathew Kambonde, who lives in Windhoek's Moses Garoëb Constituency, said the lockdown, in his view, has not yet given rise to widespread panic in his community.However, families are worried about the sudden slash in daily earnings, whether from selling food and other goods at market stalls, or a myriad of other entrepreneurial efforts that ensure small but regular incomes. “We do understand this lockdown. But we also need help to feed our kids and ourselves. ““There is no anger yet, but we are very worried about how we will survive.“I am a taxi driver. Since last week, my income has dwindled. How am I supposed to buy food? And it doesn't seem like anyone is coming to help us.” He said his employer expects his taxi fees soon, “but our cars are parked. There are no customers”.Social distancing impossible A lack of electricity, indoor toilets or water is driving thousands of informal settlement residents out into the community and shops daily, despite lockdown guidelines. Anna Wedeinge, a community leader in Kapuka informal settlement, pointed to two dilapidated toilets near her shack, saying hundreds of people are expected to share them. In their run-down state, people are forced to use the open veld near their homes. She said the installation of hundreds of hands-free Tippy Taps that ensure residents can quickly access soap and fresh water every few metres in Kapuka via an emergency response plan, initiated by the Development Workshop Namibia and Namibian Chamber of Environment, could prove crucial in minimising the spread of the coronavirus in her community.Another challenge plaguing the community is the absence of cooling facilities in homes due to a lack of electricity. “Because they don't have freezers at home, they come to buy fish every day. “The issue is there is no social distancing. But they don't have a choice, because they have to eat,” Foibe Silvanus, a community activist helping to install Tippy Taps said this week.Abraham Jason erected his own DIY Tippy Tap this month in front of his home and has invited his neighbours to wash their hands frequently. He also bought spirits as a hand sanitiser and asks everyone to disinfect when they walk past his shack. “People are afraid. There is real fear,” he said. But social distancing in his community is “not working” in the cramped settlements where shacks are built closely together, and people are forced to go outside to access necessities. He added that while there is fear, many have a “just don't care” attitude. Lack or diluted bits of information is another problem. “Many here just don't have enough information to know how serious this outbreak is. I know that it's hard to tell if someone is infected and that you cannot be sure who has the virus, so you need to take precautions. But many do not pay attention to the information. Or just don't know.”He said attempts by police officers to enforce lockdown guidelines are usually mocked.AdaptResearcher and author Mark Weston recently underscored that measures to combat the virus will differ markedly for those able to stay and work from home and depend on savings and secure neighbourhoods. He argued that for households depending on daily streams of income for food and other necessities, lockdowns would prove unbearable. He urged leaders to focus resources on the most vulnerable, including information dissemination, testing, treatment and isolation strategies. Weston warned against employing draconian measures against the most vulnerable and to protect their human rights. Empowering the youth in these areas, including ensuring they provide services during the pandemic, could be helpful, he wrote.

Social distancing not an option for poorest

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-09-11

Please login to leave a comment

Social distancing not an option for poorest

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-09-11

Please login to leave a comment

Login