Mmegi

Poverty and disease in D’kar: A teen’s story

Survivor: Gorata and her mother, Khamxlae. The large family squeezes together in structures such as the one in the picture
Survivor: Gorata and her mother, Khamxlae. The large family squeezes together in structures such as the one in the picture

18-year-old Goreng Xhara lives in a yard with three poorly built mud houses and about 20 other family members. She is recovering from tuberculous meningitis and malnutrition. NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE was in D’kar and met her recently

Tuberculous Meningitis (TBM) is a severe, life-threatening inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, caused by the same bacteria that cause tuberculosis. The infection typically begins in the lungs and spreads to the brain, leading to symptoms like persistent headache, fever, and confusion that develop slowly over weeks.

Eighteen-year old Goreng Xhara is recovering from the illness as well as malnourishment. D’kar, a settlement in Gantsi District, has some of the country’s highest poverty rates highlighted by conditions such as malnourishment and leading to diseases such as TBM.

Editor's Comment
Public servants deserve better than union infighting

‘The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds’.- Abraham LincolnUntil then, the Council’s operations remain suspended, delaying critical decisions affecting thousands of public sector employees.The current standoff is between the Manual Workers Union on one side and the Six Cooperating Trade Unions, namely BONU, BOPEU, BTU, BDU, BOSETU and...

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