The township of Soshanguve continues to grow steadily. On the one hand, it is encouraging to see that in recent years, many of the tin shacks in the area surrounding our center have been replaced by small stone houses. Building these houses takes an average of four to five years. Whenever they manage to save a little money, the residents buy some bricks and cement to build another wall or continue construction. To fulfill their dream of a solid home, many people live for long periods of time at the absolute subsistence level.
On the other hand, the newly emerging settlements consist almost exclusively of tin shacks. Thousands of households often wait for years for basic infrastructure such as electricity, water, and sanitation. Many people in the township struggle daily to survive, yet at the same time demonstrate remarkable solidarity with one another.
The situation of the five siblings, whose mother passed away earlier this year, exemplifies the solidarity that is typical of these people, who themselves live under difficult conditions. After their mother’s death, 21-year-old Karabo had to take on responsibility not only for her own child but also for her school-age siblings, aged 17, 15, 12, and 5. As of the day of her mother’s death, all government support benefits for the children were discontinued, since they had been registered in the deceased’s name. Despite numerous efforts and applications—including with the support of a local social worker—Karabo, who is unemployed, has not yet received any financial assistance. Fortunately, the deceased had already allowed two tenants to set up tin shacks on her property for their businesses—a hair salon and a grocery store—in exchange for a modest rent. However, the small income generated by this is not enough, and the family currently relies on the remarkable solidarity of their neighbors, who are also struggling with hardship.
House of Encouragement