Seen here crying of hunger, 12-year old Josef, is a student at Omagongati Combined School in Eheke consistency in Oshana Region and lives with his eldest sister Maria, who is 17 years old.

Their father passed away when Josef was only five years old and eldest sibling went to look for work. Their mother reportedly lives somewhere in Ondonga. “We two are living alone in the house. Our mother is at Omuthiya, She only comes here once a year and the food that she left us with is finished. She doesn’t call us anymore or send us food, Josef cried. These two children are facing adult challenges starting from securing their very basic needs, such as food, clean water, clothing and medication. The young Josef has wounds on both hands and suffers from chronic itching. He doesn’t know what happened; he woke up one morning with small burns, like fungal lesions on both hands.

‘My hands started itching last year, but later they to develop scales, says Josef. Owing to financial impediments the child could not get the necessary treatment up to now.

How do these two children survive on their own? Josef says, “We are struggling. We sometimes go and eat at our neighbour, but more often we struggle on our own.” Regarding school fees he says, “We did not pay yet, but our aunt used to pay for us.” Sometimes, after school the children go and catch fish to sell at nearby shebeens or exchange their catch for omahangu.  A trusted source confirmed to Informanté that the mother of the suffering children lives at Omuthiya with her new partner. “She rarely comes here,” said the source.

Contacted to find out why these children are not receiving food earmarked for vulnerable people and that need drought relief, the Omagongati village headman, Wilheiki Nakwafila, said “Yes, I am aware of what’s happening to those children and I am looking forward to take this serious matter to the Council’s office very soon.”

Good Samaritans who wish to help these children can get in contact with Omagongati Combined School, approximately 10km from the tarred road leading to Shipepe. One concerned neighbour who is concerned about the situation of the destitute children quoted from Mathew 25: “For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was stranger and you took me in… I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me.”