Ella and her Family’s Journey to a Better Life

Ella is 40 years old and has three children, with the youngest being only four years old. Like many impoverished women in Namibia, she is a widow living in extreme poverty while supporting three children entirely on her own. With the death of her husband and very little income to support her family, she could not provide enough food for her children and they started to suffer from malnutrition. The family of four lived in a corrugated metal shack and had no furniture or blankets to keep them warm during the cold Namibian winters. With very few opportunities for a better life, their future was looking very bleak.

Through the SOS Family Strengthening team's community outreach work around Ondangwa, Namibia, they became aware of Ella’s situation and the difficulties facing her family. In June 2015, Ella and her children were approached and invited to participate in the SOS Family Strengthening Program. “They were quickly admitted to the program because of how vulnerable the family was and how pressing their needs were,” explains Helena Nangombe, SOS Family Strengthening Coordinator in Ondangwa.

As part of the Family Strengthening Program, SOS staff helped Ella and her three children create their personal family development plan. Less than one month later, her children were at school and equipped with everything they need to succeed. “The little one, Steffi, was very lucky as he received donated toys and clothes from the SOS Kids’ Club,” Ella says.

Ella participated in personal development workshops with other single mothers and widows. The workshops are a safe space where women can share their experiences, come to terms with their past and plan for the future with the support of other mothers.

Ella also benefited greatly from the various trainings provided by the SOS Family Strengthening Program, including life-skills development, basic resource management and financial planning. Ella soon honed her entrepreneurial skills and developed an idea for her own business.

Ella now sells meat cuts called kapana at the local market. To the delight of her customers, she offers a variety of different food products. To help Ella support her family and become financially independent, she was loaned N$1,200.00 ($120.00 CAD) to help launch her business. After three months, her business became successful and she can now buy her supplies with the money she earns. She has even been able to save money since starting her own business. “I have now expanded my work and also sell baked fish and lunch rolls at my stand,” Ella explains with enthusiasm.

‘‘The children are doing really well,” Ella joyfully reports. Her older ones attend the Kids’ Club at the SOS Social Centre where they socialize with peers, play games, and participate in skill building activities. She feels that it is important that her children get an education and know more about their rights. ‘‘The best thing is that I can now send my children to school. They have learned so much, and keep learning every day. I have never been more proud of them,’’ Ella says with a smile.

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