Ugly allegations levelled against Ebenhaezer

The reputation of a children’s hostel in Usakos was tested last month when local newspapers received a letter from a ‘concerned teacher’ in which an Usakos-couple was accused of abusing the children who are living there.

The letter alleged that the owners of the Ebenhaezer Hostel in Hakhaseb, Albertus Gaseb and his wife, Selma, were ‘mistreating and abusing’ the children (aged seven to 16) accommodated there.The hostel was established in 2006 after the plight of families in the flood-stricken north came to Gaseb couple’s attention. Parents voiced their frustration over the difficulties their children face when wanting to attend school, but which were cut off due to flooded oshonas.’My wife comes from there, and parents told her of their problems because of the floods. We had just bought another house across the road from where we live, and so we decided to help with their children’s schooling needs,’ Mr Gaseb told The Namibian during a visit to the hostel two weeks ago.There are about 15 boys and girls living in the ‘house-hostel’ at a price of N$300 per child per month, which the parents pay (although not all of them, according to Gaseb). During holidays, the kids go home to their family villages in the north.’My heart goes out for the children. I don’t want them to become botsotsos who have no education and who will steal and kill to survive. I know we don’t have much here but at least they can enjoy an education in a safe environment,’ he said.The Namibian and Gaseb met with the children in their homework room (an enclosed stoep) and discussed some of the allegations in the letter – some of which were already published in a local weekly.According to the ‘concerned teacher’, girls and boys are allegedly sharing the same rooms and even beds, while some kids have to sleep on the floor.’Ai! It’s not true,’ many of the children said, shaking their heads.Boys and girls are in separate rooms, according to them, but there two of them, a boy and a girl, who did not have a mattress, and who admitted sharing a mattress with one of their [same-sex] roommates.’You must understand that they are paying N$300 per month; and that’s not all of them. We don’t have everything, so we would appreciate help from good Samaritans, who will donate a few mattresses to us,’ said Gaseb.Besides the two bedrooms, and a homework room in the house, there is also a shack-like kitchen and storeroom and a single toilet in the backyard. There is no bath or shower and the kids wash themselves with fire-heated water out of a bucket.’We are planning to build another bathroom,’ Gaseb assured.According to the allegations, it is ‘lights out’ by 20h00 everyday.’Why not? The children must do homework and study when they come home from school, not play all day and think they can start doing homework late at night. This is to maintain order and responsibility – all the day’s chores are done by 20h00,’ Gaseb countered.The Gasebs were also accused of ‘child labour’; of taking the kids to his farm and ‘forcing’ them ‘to clean the goats kraal, fetch water, remove manure from the kraal, look after goats, collect Akasia fruit and fire wood, and sleep in shacks’ (sic).’They are used to this type of work because of where they come from. I’m not forcing them to do it; they want to do it, and by allowing them to do this, I help them feel a little more at home,’ he said, with the acknowledgment of some of the boys.Food however is a ‘big problem’ – not just for the ‘concerned teacher’, but also for the children – and even the Gasebs.Asked what they have for breakfast, the children said pap (porridge). For lunch, according to them, they have pap and rice or noodles with sauce, with some meat – maybe once a week. For dinner, they will have pap again.’We want vegetables, and fruits (sic),’ a boy of about 10 years said.Gaseb said that food costs money, and when considering the general caretaking of the children, N$300 is a ‘small price’ for giving them the opportunity to attend a school without crossing deep and dangerous oshonas.’It’s a difficult position. On one hand you want to ensure an education, and on the other hand there’s the issue of having enough money to offer a comfortable lifestyle for the kids. This is why I want to appeal to the community to help us help these children. They eat and don’t go to bed with hungry tummies; that is, if they eat all their food, but they can surely eat better,’ Gaseb explained. ‘There is not enough money to get these other things.’The children did not give the impression that they were completely content with their paid-for accommodation at the hostel, although, when asked if they would return after the holidays next year, not one said ‘no’.If there are ‘good Samaritans’ out there who may want to assist the Gasebs with the Ebenhaezer Hostel, they can be contacted at 081 148 5332.