Beatrice Ngulube
The mother of three can now spend more on education, clean water and health - and less on housing
Life for Beatrice Ngulube, a mother and widow, took a positive turn following the Habitat for Humanity build in 2017. Sadly, Beatrice Ngulube had lost her husband in 2005 leaving her to take care of their three children, Michael, Mary and Emmanuel along with her elder sister’s son Ackim, alone.
When speaking with Beatrice, she shared that after her husband died, life became hard as she could not manage to provide her children with all of the basic necessities, let alone good housing. Beatrice added that the family’s old house was small and had limited ventilation. This meant that safety was compromised as the mud structure had cracks and no proper doors.
“Safety was compromised as the mud structure [their home] had cracks and no proper doors.”
Building a new home with the local community (and volunteers!)
During the 2017 build, our volunteers worked tirelessly with the family and the local community to construct a three-room house for Beatrice and her family. In addition to these rooms, a ventilated pit toilet and wash room were also constructed under the “Pamwesu Orphaned and Vulnerable Groups” project.
We are extremely happy to be able to report that the family are happily settled in their new, safe home. Beatrice speaks fondly of her new home, “I am thankful for the new house, toilet and wash room. The life of my children and I has changed for the good. I now have a garden where I plant pumpkin, wild spinach and other vegetables for home consumption,” Beatrice stated.
“The life of my children and I has changed for the good.”
Improving their lives – with still much to be done
Beatrice and her family now access water at a fee from a community borehole. The water is charged 50 Ngwee (£0.07-0.08) for a 20-litre container and is safe for drinking. The family are able to eat two meals a day which they can afford as less money is now being spent on trying to keep the house safe for them to live in.
In terms of education, Beatrice’s son, Emmanuel and nephew, Ackim are in school in grade four and eight respectively. However, Michael and Mary cannot attend school yet due to financial constraints… “I love school so much and I would really appreciate any sort of help for me to finish my education. I have big dreams for my family which can only be realised if I attain my education,” Mary said.
The family seeks medical attention at Mount Makulu clinic within the community when sick. Common sickness experienced by the household is Malaria. Luckily, Beatrice has lived in Linda Township for many years and community members help each other when there is a sickness or bereavement.
