Poverty is a daily reality in many deep rural villages across Limpopo, but for a group of orphaned siblings from Gogobole Burundi Village, the struggle for survival has become a heartbreaking way of life.
Twenty-five-year-old Tshedza Mamphodo lives with her four younger siblings and her child in a one-room house that is barely fit for human habitation. The family’s ageing house is in a poor state of repair, with broken windows, a front door that no longer closes properly and a leaking roof. The structure is so dilapidated that sunlight streams through gaps in the walls and roof.
During heavy rain, the siblings are forced to seek shelter at a neighbour’s house because the roof leaks badly.
None of the family members is employed. Mamphodo, whose single mother died in 2023, said they survive mainly on child support grants received for the younger children.
“We all depend on the child support grants. The house we live in is not safe, and it is very difficult for seven people to live in such a small space. Our greatest wish is to have a decent house,” she said.
“It is very painful to watch my family suffer like this. I constantly worry about what will happen to my younger brothers, sisters and my own child. Our living conditions are heartbreaking, but I will continue doing everything I can to make sure they do not go to bed hungry.”
The children also lack proper school uniforms, shoes and warm clothing. With little hope of a better future, Mamphodo appealed to members of the public for assistance.
“We need food, proper shelter, clothing and any other donations people can offer. We have suffered in silence for so long. We are trying our best to survive, but we cannot do it alone. We have nowhere else to turn,” she said.
Mamphodo said social workers had visited the family and assessed their living conditions. She also claimed that they had approached Ward Councillor Phineus Masipa for assistance with an RDP house, but that he had neither visited the family nor contacted them.
Councillor Masipa said he was aware of the family’s situation.
“We are currently identifying all households in the village facing similar challenges. Once the process is complete, we will submit the list to the relevant authorities, including the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA). These children are among those who require urgent assistance,” he said.