Vhembe – OurHealth recently spent time with a woman in Mfulwi Village, who has no proper housing after it was destroyed by the floods, but has six children to care for.

“I have been living in this house for almost a year now with my children. It is very small and it is very hard for us to settle in with all our belongings,” explains Sophia Maligana.

“We used to have a big round house before, but after the huge rains this year we are only left with the smaller one. I live in fear because my children are always sick. If it is not flu, it is cholera or malaria. This is hard for me because I am always at the clinic with my children. The problem is that even if only one of my children are sick, he or she will infect others because we all are living in one small house and it is very easy for germs to pass from one person to the other.”.

Fulufhelo (22) is the eldest daughter. “Things has been very hard for us since we started living in this house. We are always fear for our lives because the house has no proper door and locks. I even try thinking of what might happen if rapists come when we are sleeping and I get scared.

She says they has often been confronted with situations where they have cooked food, but rabid dogs manage to break in and scavenge, eating from the plates.

Chairman of the Village Civic Organisation David Nyatheli confirms that they have been paying attention to the family’s situation.

“We have decided that she must get an RDP house since she has no other place to stay with her children. We are busy solving this issue and she will get a proper house very soon,” he promised.

He confirmed that several other villagers have moved into new RDP houses since the floods. Maligana said she was “just holding thumbs and praying that I get a house soon. I am tired of living in fear”.