Bringing hope to Five Rand

SEEING the need for assistance to orphans and vulnerable children from the Five Rand Camp outside Okahandja, Kauna Angula and Helena Shipena last year did a survey among the about 6 000 residents of the camp and saw the need for a soup kitchen and for HIV-AIDS education.

So in June 2003 they started the Ileni Tulikwafeni Project – meaning ‘lets help each other’ – in Oshiwambo. The two women are currently feeding some 145 children five days a week with the help of women from the community.The project is supported by the Governor of the Otjozondjupa Region and the municipality of Okahandja.When the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting came to know about the project it offered to support the first HIV-AIDS education course to be held at the camp.A week-long course was offered to community members where they were not only educated about the disease but also taught home-based care.Angula said that HIV-AIDS was a huge problem in the Five Rand Camp since it is situated between two military bases and the people are very poor.The young girls sell themselves to the soldiers to make ends meet and they are not aware of the dangers or don’t know how to protect themselves.The misuse of alcohol also leads to not only poverty but also an increase in HIV-AIDS infections in Five Rand Camp.The first 26 woman from the camp participated in the course and they were all hoping that such training could not only be repeated but also be even more detailed.Angula said that they would need donations for two more courses to turn these woman into qualified councillors and home-based care givers who can then train and educate other woman from the Camp.Through the efforts of these two women, different organisations and Ministry’s have become aware of the huge problems facing the people of Five Rand Camp.For example, every day children have to walk seven kilometres to attend school at Nau Aib.This will all change when by the end of this year a primary school for 200 children will be build in the Five Rand Camp with the help of Lux Development and the Ministry of Basic Education who made N$3,5 million available and construction will start shortly.A clinic and mobile police station will also be available to the community early next year.They municipality will also make available plots for people to build proper houses on.Things are starting to look up for the community and the children of Five Rand Camp.When the two women were asked what drove them, they simply said that they could not longer watch how the children were suffering and do nothing.Although they both live at Okahandja, they could not ignore what was happening outside it.The two women are currently feeding some 145 children five days a week with the help of women from the community.The project is supported by the Governor of the Otjozondjupa Region and the municipality of Okahandja.When the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting came to know about the project it offered to support the first HIV-AIDS education course to be held at the camp.A week-long course was offered to community members where they were not only educated about the disease but also taught home-based care.Angula said that HIV-AIDS was a huge problem in the Five Rand Camp since it is situated between two military bases and the people are very poor.The young girls sell themselves to the soldiers to make ends meet and they are not aware of the dangers or don’t know how to protect themselves.The misuse of alcohol also leads to not only poverty but also an increase in HIV-AIDS infections in Five Rand Camp.The first 26 woman from the camp participated in the course and they were all hoping that such training could not only be repeated but also be even more detailed.Angula said that they would need donations for two more courses to turn these woman into qualified councillors and home-based care givers who can then train and educate other woman from the Camp.Through the efforts of these two women, different organisations and Ministry’s have become aware of the huge problems facing the people of Five Rand Camp.For example, every day children have to walk seven kilometres to attend school at Nau Aib.This will all change when by the end of this year a primary school for 200 children will be build in the Five Rand Camp with the help of Lux Development and the Ministry of Basic Education who made N$3,5 million available and construction will start shortly.A clinic and mobile police station will also be available to the community early next year.They municipality will also make available plots for people to build proper houses on.Things are starting to look up for the community and the children of Five Rand Camp.When the two women were asked what drove them, they simply said that they could not longer watch how the children were suffering and do nothing.Although they both live at Okahandja, they could not ignore what was happening outside it.