Orphans Homeless after one-room house is gutted

PINI BOTHOKO
Correspondent | Monday June 17, 2013 00:00

 

The orphans, whose family in Borolong's Mpatane ward is headed by 17-year old Winnet Vambie, had gone to school on May 6 when the house caught fire.Fortunately the children have found temporary shelter with a neighbour where Vambie cooks and prepares herself and the youngsters for school every morning.Their mother died in 2009, leaving Vambie and her younger brothers, who are doing Form Two, Standard Six and Standard Three in destitution.

Vambie, who is doing Form Three at Tlhalogang Junior Secondary School, described what happened to them as a tragedy she will never forget.'I don't know what caused the fire. We use candles in our house. I don't remember if on the day, when we left for school, the candle was lit or not. 'I was the last person to leave the house,' she said with a startled look.She said that usually before leaving she makes sure to put out the candle. But on the fateful day, she does not remember whether she had done so.'It was around midday when I was still in class when I was called by one of the teachers to inform me about the tragedy.

'I could not believe what I heard until we arrived and found the home still engulfed in flames,' said Vambie.Without their own accommodation Vambie said she immediately realised that their struggle for survival was going to be even tougher. She said all of their belongings, including clothes, bed, wardrobe, blankets, stove and other utensils were all destroyed, leaving them with only the uniforms they were wearing.'I knew we were going to struggle even more (Ke ne ka telwa ke kakanyo ya gore jaanong re simolola go sotega le go feta).We have been struggling living alone with the help of the Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programme since we lost our mother. They supported us with uniforms and a coupon that we use to buy food and toiletry,' she said.She said that her younger brothers are still confused and miss their home as they usually spent the weekends playing in their yard.

'It has affected them psychologically as at times I can see that they are worried and hurt inside. It also hurts me at times because I always have flash backs of our house burning,' she said.Vambie said that she always tries to console her little brothers to accept the situation and wait for a Good Samaritan who would come along and build them a house. 'We are currently being housed by a couple in the neighbourhood. They have a two-room house and have given us one room to sleep in.  They have been so supportive giving us the parental love we have been missing for years but we need to go back to our own yard,' she said.

She said that members of the community and their teachers have been helpful donating clothes to them but her brothers are the ones who still have shortage of clothes and she is pleading with people to help.Vambie said no one from their extended family members have ever come to see them after their house caught fire even though they are staying in nearby Tonota. She said that she heard that they said that they do not have money to visit.'Ever since our mother passed away we have been struggling like we do not have relatives. They do not visit at all. I do not think they even know how old we are. We have been staying with our 20-year-old elder sister who is now schooling at Marobela Brigade but since she started schooling last year I am the head of the family,' she said.

Lameck Setobeko, the 46-year-old neighbour who accommodated the children said when he heard of the children's plight, he decided to take them in.'I am a father and the spirit of a loving father forced me to accommodate them in the spare room. I couldn't leave them sleeping in a destroyed house. That is why my wife and I decided to share the little we have with them,' said Setobeko.He said the children have clearly been traumatised by the tragedy, as they always look downcast.'Though it is not easy, I try by all means to be there for them.  The older child (Vambie) has even lost weight,' he said.

When approached about the children the Tonota Sub-District Senior Council Secretary, Terrence Ntalabgwe, said he was not aware of the incident but would follow it up and establish how they could help the orphans.'I have not yet received a report about them, I will contact the senior social worker at Borolong and establish all the facts. I will also visit to see where they are being temporarily accommodated as you say, and see how we can help them,' said Ntalabgwe.The village councillor, Jabulani Vuke, said he has been asking for donations from the community and pleads with the public to help ease the children's plight.