Some mothers applying for child maintenance grants have accused the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare of poor service delivery.
The ministry offers four types of grants for orphans and vulnerable children – a maintenance grant, foster parent grant, special maintenance grant and one for vulnerable children.
Elizabeth Isaack (29), an unemployed mother of three from the Goreangab informal settlement in Windhoek, says she has tried to register with the ministry several times, but without success.
“Imagine the time and money I have wasted trying to get the children registered. The officials are not friendly, and one told me the ministry no longer gives social grants, and I should go and look for my children’s fathers instead.
“I am disappointed at being sent back and forth. I struggle to get the taxi fare to go to the ministry’s two offices – one in town and another at Grysblok.”
Isaack previously survived by collecting recyclable cans for sale as scrap, but earned too little to care for her children and herself.
“I used to get up at 03h00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with my baby strapped on my back, to search for recyclables in refuse bins. There is tough competition because I am not the only one searching in refuse bins.”
Safety is, however, a concern, after she was robbed of her cans and other recyclables two months ago.
“They pushed me to the ground and almost beat me. I now collect firewood for sale, but this is also risky because we go into farms to collect the wood.”
Isaack says she cannot return to her rural home in the north because the situation is worse there.
“I don’t believe in sitting at home waiting to be fed, so I think of ways to put food on the table, but why am I denied social grants? I know it can at least make a difference in the lives of my children.”
Isaack says she was previously on the contraceptive injection, but it caused severe side effects and she stopped using it.
“All the fathers of my children have abandoned me. It has been very difficult for me to fend for them. Sometimes we have nothing to eat, and neighbours cannot assist us every day.
Ndinelao Ndemwongela (36) says ministry officials said they would have to assess the situation at her home to determine if one of her children qualifies for the social grant.
“I have been waiting since 2018. I feel like the ministry is denying my child government privileges after the child’s father rejected him at birth.”
Mother of two Indileni Hangula (38) says her first child is a grant beneficiary but not the other.
“I went to the ministry to apply in 2019 and I was told to return after three months to see whether my daughter qualifies or not. How long should I wait? New mothers I saw registering for the grant have become beneficiaries already, while I have been told to wait.”
Ministry spokesperson Lukas Haufiku said the allocation of grants was not stopped, however, there is a specific allocation from the finance ministry per year.
Haufiku urged mothers to have all the required documents when registering.
He also said he does not condone unfriendly officials and people have a right to complain, but sometimes clients are aggressive and impatient.
A maintenance grant is given to parents of vulnerable children under the age of 18.
The government pays 356 756 orphans and vulnerable children a monthly grant of N$250, which will soon be increased to N$350.
To qualify for the grant, parents of vulnerable children should either be deceased, unemployed, earning less than N$1 000 monthly, receiving an old-age grant or a disability grant, or one parent is in prison for six months or more.
In total, 618 110 Namibians receive state social grants.
Annually, the government spends more than N$5 billion on childcare and social protection.
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