The Orphan's Voices

Bongani's Story

Read as well:

• Bongani's Story
• Tengetile's Story
• Sihle's Story

I am eleven years old. I am a boy. There aren't any adults around where I live. My grandmother who was looking after us died. In our homestead there is me and my cousin Nondumiso. She is three years old.

I get along well with my cousin. The problem comes when she gets sick. I worry where to get the money from to take her to the clinic. She normally gets the flu. I think my cousin will have to go to the neighbour's place. Then I will be alone.

I don't go to school now. I went to school up to grade three. Then there was no money. I don't read and write very well. I can count. I think it is important that I finish school. I remember the English books at school. And the siSwati books. And social studies. I liked social studies. When I grow up, I want to be a nurse.

I am afraid that people are going to steal things from our house. We don't have a lock on the door. The door is just planks. It's scary living all alone. I worry about criminals. The house is falling apart. People might even be mean, and destroy it. It would be easy. They just push at the walls, and they would fall down.

The rain comes in. It needs more thatch. I can't do that myself. The wind comes in. I try to put mud on the cracks, but when it rains the mud just falls off again.

My cousin and I get food from that car. (Editor's Note: A World Food Programme vehicle). They started last week. We've been asking food from the neighbours. Now we get cooking oil, and beans, and yellow powder (Editor's Note: A corn-soya nutritional blend.)

We need soap, and matches. We need candles for the night. We give the neighbours our beans, and they give us soap. We don't have clothes. We don't have blankets. We sleep on the ground, on grass mats. We cover ourselves any way we can. For water, we go to the river. It is far. It takes 30 minutes to go there, and 30 minutes to go back. We have a wheelbarrow. I use it to fetch water. I am worried the wheelbarrow will be stolen. At night, I put it in the room with us when we sleep.

Editor's Note: Subsequent to this interview, Bongani attended a UNICEF workshop for orphaned and vulnerable children, where his voice could be heard about his needs. At the end of his trip, he picked up his cousin from the neighbours and returned to their homestead. His precious wheelbarrow was gone. Now, he must fetch water by hand.