FRIDAY, 10 March 2023, is a day Erastus Nathanael (67) and his family will always remember.
It’s the day mysterious fires gutted Nathanael’s whole homestead, together with 13 huts and all of the household’s property.
“We’re left with nothing, utterly nothing, the whole lot we owned burnt within the fireplace. Cash, paperwork, clothes, blankets, beds and meals are all gone. I do not know the best way to describe this, solely God is aware of what that is and the way we are going to come out of this,” stated Nathanael’s spouse, Selma Wellem (57).
When The Namibian visited the Nathanael’s homestead at Oshamono village within the Ohangwena area on Monday afternoon, the household was sitting within the shade of one of many solely shelters left standing within the compound. Ash was in every single place, whereas burnt furnishings and family instruments like rakes, hoes, spoons, plates and beds have been the one proof of what as soon as belonged to the household.
Wellem stated she left dwelling on Friday morning to go to the hospital at Eenhana, about 25 kilometres away. She left her three older daughters at dwelling. At round 12h00 on that fateful day, she obtained a telephone name to tell her that her dwelling was burning down.
“I could not imagine it in any respect,” she stated.
Her daughter Christina Nathanael (43), who was dwelling when the fireplace began, had tears in her eyes as she narrated what occurred.
“We had simply left the home to enter the sphere to work. We at all times guarantee that we do not depart something cooking, and there’s no fireplace within the kitchen both.
“Whereas within the discipline at round 12h00, we seen smoke was coming from inside the home, so we ran to evaluate the state of affairs and after we reached there, we noticed that one of many huts was on fireplace.
“We screamed for the neighbours to return and assist and we managed to place out the fireplace however quickly afterwards, we noticed the adjoining hut was additionally on fireplace.
“The fireplace stored leaping from one hut to the following till there was nothing we might do any extra. We simply stood there and watched in horror as our dwelling burnt down.
“The fireplace died out after all of the huts have been burnt down utterly,” she stated.
“We do not know what to do, we now have no meals, garments or blankets, the whole lot is gone.
“Please, we’re interesting to any good Samaritans on the market to help us in any approach,” stated Wellem.
Each Ohangwena governor Walde Ndevashiya and Epembe constituency councillor Matthew Nanghama visited the homestead on Monday handy over donations of meals, blankets and mattresses.
Additionally they appealed to members of the general public to help the household.
“As we will all see right here, this household has been left destitute. They’re solely left with the garments on their backs. We’ve assessed the extent of the damages attributable to the fireplace and it’s actually dangerous.
“Let any good Samaritans on the market assist out in any approach they will, whether or not it is meals provisions, clothes, zinc sheets to rebuild their dwelling, blankets and beds,” stated Ndevashiya.
Supply: namibian