Times visits, donates to needy
MBABANE – Life is literally a struggle for most people with disabilities at Msunduza and surrounding areas outside Mbabane.
A random visit by a team from the Times of Eswatini to deliver adult disposable diapers on Wednesday uncovered some of the everyday struggles that five families living at Msunduza were going through. Life is an everyday torture for 63-year-old elderly man identified as Makhanya, who has been confined to his bed after suffering a stroke almost a year ago. On top of struggling to get basic needs like food and medical care, he lives in a dilapidated structure, which can collapse anytime.
Among those visited by the Times was a 13-year-old girl who got injured at the age of two and got paralysed after suffering an injury on her spine. It was gathered that it cost an arm and a leg to cover costs of her basic needs.
While their needs vary, what stood out was these peoples’ struggle to access medical care, due to the lack of financial muscle. Others could still recover if they could go through rehabilitation programmes, especially from organisations such as Cheshire Homes.
While remaining calm in the face of adversity, the five visited families, in random interviews with this publication, made it known that the disability grant of about E800, which is released quarterly by government, was a drop in the ocean in as far as meeting their daily needs was concerned.
A volunteer who has dedicated her time to cater for people with disabilities and the elderly at Msunduza area, Ncobile Mavuso, said they were faced with numerous challenges due to the unavailability of assistance.
She said most of the patients were neglected by their relatives and were in need of someone to take care of them. Mavuso said a majority of the patients were in need of basic needs like shelter, clothing and food.
“We are in need of food parcels like maize meal, rice and sugar beans, because through these items, they are able to sustain themselves for some time,” she said.
The carer mentioned that some were living in stick-and-mud houses, which were on the brink of collapsing and posed danger to their lives.
She said they sometimes struggled with transporting the patients to the hospital, because they did not own any motor vehicles but relied on other volunteers. She said this at times posed a threat to the lives of other patients.
Mavuso also mentioned that those who were willing to assist them can contact her on 7824 7756 or 7929 4441.