THREE siblings aged between five and 12 cannot go to school because they do not have national documents.
The oldest, Lukas Daniel (12), sits quietly on a water container in the shade. Dressed in grey pants, yellow T-shirt and wearing shoes which both have holes, he moves his legs back and forth, unfazed by our presence.
His siblings, Tita Mukupa (7) and Ndapandera Tjaveondja (5), sit not too far from him where they play in the sand. It is school time, but the three, who live with their unemployed aunt Lita Paulus in Ongulumbashe, Katutura, are at home this morning (yesterday).
Paulus told The Namibian that these are her sister's children she is looking after.
She brought them to Windhoek from a farm about two years ago with the hope of enrolling them in a school, but the lack of identity documents has derailed her efforts.
She said the children were born on a farm in the Otjombinde constituency of the Omaheke region, and grew up there with their mother, who works on a farm.
"I decided to bring them to Windhoek and enrol them in school. Getting national documents is a challenge because home affairs asked for their birth details, which I do not have," Paulus stated.
She said even the parents of the children do not have any records of when they were born as they were delivered at home, and not in a hospital. "They only know the years." Paulus said she has also tried to enrol the children at nearby schools, but to no avail.
Lukas told The Namibian that he wants to go to school. He is evidently bored at home and unhappy with his situation, and his mood changes when he talks about how he helplessly watches other children go to school.
"I feel bad. I have nothing to do at home, and I wish I could go to school. Maybe one day I will get the birth certificate," he said. The three children can also not access social grants for vulnerable children from the ministry of gender equality.
Ministry of education spokesperson Johanna Absalom told The Namibian yesterday that there is unfortunately no exception, and schools need national identification documents to be able to enrol children.
Head of the Namibia Red Cross Society's Khomas branch, Abia Uhongora, was in the area when The Namibian was doing the interview, and promised to help the children.
Uhongora said his organisation will contact the councillor of the Tobias Hainyeko constituency, Christopher Likuwa, to find out how many other children with similar ciurcumstances are in his area.
"We will then get their full names to assist with getting them identification documents before approaching schools to have them enrolled," he said, adding that they will also solicit funds for school uniforms.
Likuwa could not be reached for comment.
Home affairs spokesperson Salome Kambala also did not answer her phone, nor did she reply to a text message sent to her.
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