Remember Gogo Lobusika? She was living in that falling down hut and sleeping on only bed springs. In March last year we had secured temporary housing via a loaned plastic tent from the Swaziland Red Cross. Soon after we gained permission from the headmen to build her a house (see ‘An Unexpected Day’, ‘Permission Granted’ and ‘I Slept In’ posts).
At the end of June last year we celebrated the completion of her house with a party (yes any excuse to celebrate). Gogo said she was so happy she felt like her heart was going to come out.Her home consists of two rooms and a pit latrine at the end of her homestead. We also bought her a container to harvest water.Since June, Gogo has been on our Mealie Meal Food Ration program receiving mealie meal (grinded maize), oil, soup mix, sugar and beans. This program is a temporary fix to keep her going until we can get a garden going where she can start sustaining and providing for herself.
In fact Gogo was given seeds and fertiliser to plant early in December 2012. However she was unfortunately unable to plant anything due to fact that neighbouring cows would frequent her land through a few broken fence points on her land.
Over the next few weeks we hope to get the community to help repair the fence. In the meantime Gogo will be clearing an area of her land and collecting sticks, so together we can help make for her a small kitchen garden that’s protected from any unwanted guests.
We will keep you posted on her progress.
