Hannah Once Lived in the Bushes

After losing both of their parents, Hannah (14) and her sister Elizabeth (9) went to live with their maternal grandmother. Their grandmother struggled to raise them. The school that Hannah was enrolled in at the time was very far from her new home.  Hannah only managed to walk the long distance to school one day a week.

On any given day, Hannah would be left at home alone with her sister, without anything to eat.  9-years-old at the time, she could not bear to leave her sister. So Hannah stayed put. As time went on, making the journey to school became less and less frequent for the young girl, as her body weakened from hunger.

Hannah was a bright student who showed great promise in the classroom. The school management became concerned when weeks had passed and they no longer saw the child at school. They went looking for her at her grandmother’s home. She was nowhere to be found. Her sister, Elizabeth, was nowhere to be found. The village where Hannah and Elizabeth lived was remote and surrounded by bush. Hannah’s teachers eventually found her sleeping in the nearby bushes, alone, living off of wild fruits that she could scavenge.

The girl’s condition was brought to the attention of the local social worker. Hannah’s grandmother was traced and found living in an unlicensed bar some kilometers away, with little Elizabeth.  It was then decided that the two girls would join the nearby SOS Children’s Village in Ondangwa. SOS mother Monika welcomed Hannah and Elizabeth with open arms. 

The first thing Monika did was to enroll the girls in kindergarten. Hannah had to start her schooling over again because her previous school could not provide a report of completion for any grade. “I knew it would be hard for her, but that it was the best solution for her future success,” Monika recalled.

Sisters Hannah (left) and Elizabeth (right) sitting on the play structure at the SOS Children’s Village in Ondangwa, Namibia. Photo credit: Saara Nangula

Hannah was taller and older than the other children in her kindergarten class.  She felt uncomfortable at first standing out from the others, but with the support of her SOS mother, that feeling soon passed. “My mom encouraged me and said age does not matter as long as I do my best,” said Hannah.

Now Hannah is 14 and has graduated on time from each grade, even picking up a few academic honors on the way.

 “It is no longer awkward for me in school and now I know I want to be a pilot” Hannah declared, who is now in grade 4 and very serious about her work.

 When asked to think about what is in store for Hannah’s future, Monika, her SOS mother, said: “Despite the difficulties she faced, I think Hannah will become a leader in her community one day. She is a very focused and caring young lady.”

Namibia is home to 140,000 orphans, nearly half of whom have lost their parents to AIDS. Malnutrition, particularly among children, remains a persistent problem and is directly responsible for the death of more than 6,000 children each year.

There many children, who are living like Hannah had once been, in poor, unstable families, unable to attend school and forced to fend for themselves in order to survive.

You can help make this change. Your support of SOS Children’s Villages sees children grow up healthier, better educated, and better able to look after themselves. These SOS-supported children become more active and engaged citizens. They find work that breaks the cycle of poverty. They become better parents to their own children. They strengthen their communities and, ultimately, the fabric of their nations.

It all starts with a child, like Hannah. Sponsor a child today.