By: Ketemba Tjipepa
A 57-year-old disabled resident of 7de Laan in Otjomuise, Jacob Owaseb is struggling to make ends meet while caring for his 10-year-old daughter after the mother abandoned them six years ago. Before he became disabled, Owaseb earned a living by fixing vehicles. Owaseb, the sole caregiver for his daughter, lives in a shack without electricity or toilet and fetches water from the communal tap. Owaseb who suffered multiple strokes and underwent a heart surgery has a pacemaker inserted in his chest. According to an online definition, a pacemaker is a small device placed in the chest to help control the heartbeat and prevent the heart from beating too slowly. Owaseb told TodayonOne that since he gets tired easily because of his ailment, he is unable to find work to support himself and his daughter. "I am sick and due to the operation, I cannot carry heavy things or walk properly. Therefore, people fetch water for me. Life is very hard for me because I can barely do anything. I use a bucket as my toilet”, said Owaseb. Owaseb added that his daughter occasionally misses her mother, who left when she was five-years-old. He wishes that the mother could visit their daughter before he succumbs to his condition. “The mother left in 2016. I have been with our daughter for six years without the mother. The mother does not care about the child, and she never visits or comes to see her. The child misses her mother sometimes, and I wish she could come see her before I leave this world”, he said. Owaseb, who uses a bucket to relieve himself, stated that he requires any type of assistance in order to support himself and his child.
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