Lusiana and family |
'Lusiana is the most vulnerable woman I have ever known' – as a blind woman, living with her 8 children in an informal settlement, she is an easy target for many unscrupulous people in a variety of ways. She has no husband to bring food to the house or to protect her and the children.
The ideal way for NCCV to support Lusiana and her children in the long term would be in the provision of practical vocational skills for Lusiana and education for the children. The family's immediate need every day is food.
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Katatura, where Lusiana and her family live |
This is the informal settlement where Lusiana and her children live. It is located on the outskirts of Opuwo - Kaokoland and it is growing day by day, week by week. Houses are built from any material people can get hold of; cardboard, wood, sticks, mud and grass, even bin liners. There is no fresh water here and the land is not fit to grow anything. HIV/AIDS statistics are high in this area.
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Lazarus  |
Lazarus is the oldest child at 16 - we say child but he has never had a childhood. As the oldest boy with no father he has`always had to be the man of the house. He has been helped to attend school on several occasions but his reponsibilities at home have always been more pressing.
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Outside the house
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This picture shows Lusiana, Lazarus and 4 of the younger children sitting outside their home. 8 of the 9 family members live in the small corrugated shed.
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Outside cooking area
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The grass hut in the picture is the room for Lazarus – It is part of the culture that the man of the house must have his own hut – Lusiana and the other 7 children sleep in the corrugated hut.
You can also see the area outside where all the cooking is done. The family just survive on maizemeal porridge – things that we take for granted such as meat and fruit and vegetables are something they rarely see.
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Outside cooking area
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This is where Lusiana and 7 of the children sleep.
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Kitchen area
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This is really a pantry as all cooking, unless it rains, is done over a mopane wood fire outside. As you can see, the pantry is empty – the family live from day to day and the main problem facing them every day is where the food will come from.
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