Poverty to blame for 8 school dropouts
MAPHIVENI – Poverty and hunger has forced eight pupils to drop out of school.
These pupils are from t wo homesteads situated at Maphiveni under Mafucula Umphakatsi.
This reporter met the two families at their respective homes yesterday morning.
At t he f i r st homestead, t he Matimakhulu f amily had f our chil dren aged between 13 and 17 years.
Some were in high school while others were yet to complete their primary education.
The quartet resides with their grandmother, Margaret Maziya ( 76) t ogether with t heir unemployed aunt Ncamsile Matimakhulu.
They sleep i n t wo different stickand- mud huts.
“We survive through handouts and donations from our neighbours. The children dropped out because of hunger and poverty as they have to board transport to their respective schools situated about seven kilometres from here. Food was the major reason that forced them out of school. We sleep by sharing these two huts and when it rains, we are soaked including our blankets,” Gogo Maziya narrated.
The area is also facing water scarcity as the only source of water is the crocodile infested Black Umbuluzi River situated a kilometer away from the community.
Asked h o w t h e y s u r v i v e d u n d e r the prevailing circumstances, Gogo Maziya said they only put food on the table by selling wild fruits, especially during the summer season.
“We are so poor and we don’t know what to eat today as we don’t have anything. We appeal to anyone with a good heart to donate building material and food. They can contact our Bucopho Sambulo Masuku on 7695 0241 or Ncamsile Matimakhulu on 7813 5818,” she said.
The second homestead is that of a Maseko family which has four children who have also dropped out of school due to poverty and hunger.
The children are aged between 10 and 15 years and were all still in primary school.
The quartet also resides with their unemployed mother, Joyce Maseko ( 50).
They all share a stick- and- mud hut. “My husband l eft us t o st ay with another man and he i s not working as he is a sickly person. I used to sell chicken dust by t he roadside, but I became broke and failed to sustain my business because I have to take care of the needs of this household. We appeal for assistance with building material and food,” she said.
Another homestead which i s also in dire need of assistance is that of a Mdluli elderly man, Victor Mdluli ( 64) who resides alone in a dilapidated stick- and- mud hut.
“I survive through handouts from my neighbour, Eric Dlamini. I am sick and take medication on a daily basis and it becomes hard to do so when there i s no f ood t o eat. I appeal f or help with building material and food,” the elderly man said.
The area’s Headman, Solomon Mdaka, urged t he business community situated close to this community to come forth and render financial aid to these families.
Dire
Mdaka said there were 148 homesteads situated under this community.
“The majority of these households l i ve under dire poverty conditions and need help. Food and water are major necessities as most of them are unemployed. I can be contacted on 7648 1068,” he said.
Mafucula Bucopho Masuku further appealed f or f i nancial help f or t he needy families.
“Water and food are the basic needs they are currently in need of as well as better houses. I would like to urge companies situated within the Lubombo Region to render assistance to these f amilies as t he children’s f uture i s doomed due to poverty. I can be contacted on 7695 0241 for assistance,” he said.