Several women in Otjiwarongo this week levelled accusations of discrimination against the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare officials for allegedly denying them access to vulnerable children grants.
The women making these claims were queuing together in front of the barred gates of the ministry’s regional office this week, while alleging that their physical appearance was being used to judge whether they would be allowed entry, in order to apply for the grant.
Successful applicants receive a N$250 per month grant for their children.
However, a source at the ministry this week claimed that identifying those in need of the grant is complex, with the priority being the poorest of the poor, so ministry officials prioritise the most vulnerable.
Moreover, processing grants take time and only a limited number of people can be processed in a day.
A ministry source further noted that some of the applicants do have employment or receive support from family members, pushing them down the list, as the most vulnerable should be first in line.
Two women, who spoke to Namibian Sun on condition of anonymity, said they had walked to the ministry’s offices early that morning, but because they were dressed well, they were denied access.
“They choose the women, they look them up and down,” one woman claimed, accusing the gatekeepers to the property of identifying women allowed through the gates on the basis of how poor they looked.
“You have to look very poor, but government said everyone who is unemployed can access the grant,” she said.
Both women said that it is unfair to judge them on their clothes.
“What do they want us to do? I am a woman. I don’t want to be dirty and smell when I go out of my house. I want to look decent,” one said.
However, a ministry official, who spoke off the record, said the most desperate in need of funds are first in line.
“We have to start with the most vulnerable people - those who eat out of rubbish bins, those who do not have work and are desperate. That is what we are trying to achieve, to reach them,” she explained.
She said the official criteria for the vulnerability grant, which grants each child in a household N$250, include unemployment or anyone earning less than N$1 000 a month. She admitted that it is difficult to identify who is in need of the grants. She explained that some potential applicants for instance do receive support from family members, while there are those whose survival depends on government grants.
On Monday, several women showed police declarations to Namibian Sun, in which they had given sworn testimony that they were unemployed and in need of the funds to help raise their children.
They explained that these declarations were required to apply for the grant.
Rachel Coomer, public outreach manager at the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), said this week that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is “doing an amazing job” and that they were committed to funnelling the available grant funds to those most in need, thereby “trying to meet the needs of the people”.
She, however, noted that trying to discern who is most in need, is “very complicated”.
“It is difficult to make sure the right people get the money,” she said.
In addition, the ministry official said that the demand is greater than the number of people available to process the applications.
“It takes time because it’s not just about registration, you need to interview them, and provide support,” she explained.
She added that often an applicant’s children no longer attend school, which is then addressed, in addition to other social issues.
“You sometimes have to provide counselling, so you have to contact the social workers,” she said.
A woman who claims to have tried to apply three times for the grant during the past few weeks said: “I have one child, a son. His father has never supported us, and it’s just me and my mother who raise the child. The N$250 is not a lot, but it will help a little,” she said.
A mother of four children, who claims she has waited outside the ministry’s offices six times over the past few weeks, said: “I just want help. I really am suffering. The money will help a lot; it will make life a little bit easier.”
A request for comment and for details was sent to the line ministry which said it would provide answers by Monday.
JANA-MARI SMITH