Fire victims sleep through wind storms

SOME of the 15 families who lost their homes in a shack fire at Walvis Bay last Sunday had to sleep outside through windstorms this week.

The fire is believed to have started after one shack owner left an unattended pot on a lit stove. One of the victims, Hendrina Josef, said the families have nowhere to go as their neighbours' houses are already overcrowded. They, however, received mattresses from some neighbours in a gesture of empathy. “This came at a rather unfortunate time because the east wind also came on that day. It was sand throughout all those nights and there was nowhere to go. “There is only an open space where our shacks used to be. We do not have relatives around here. I felt bad because the children had to endure three days of inhaling smoke and dust. The smell of the fire is already bad; the children were just coughing,” she explained. Josef said school children lost all their books and uniforms in the fire. She appealed to residents to donate old school uniforms and bags before the schools reopen on Monday. Josef also asked companies to donate building materials to enable them to rebuild their shacks before winter sets in. “I trust that the mayor will help us since he always does so whenever fires occur. Since the mayor's office cannot do everything on its own, I know there are people with unused items in their homes. Some have old clothes. I am asking everybody to help,” she pleaded. Josef is currently studying through Namcol, and lost all her books and documents. Among the 10 children are five teenagers, who are in Grades 11 and 12. The children are especially asking for new books so that they can continue with their education. The affected families can be contacted on 0812899359.