Africa-Press – Angola. Municipal Administration of Benguela guarantees that there is a Provincial Government program for the installation of more services, to be implemented depending on financial availability
Welcome”, “Bienvienue”, “Ndenguenini”, “Murimbuangi”, “Akombe vein”. This is how press was received by families returning from Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, settled in the neighborhood of Mina, zone F, in Benguela.
The greeting is given in several languages. Some express themselves in English, others in French, Lingala, Mbunda and Umbundu.
Access to the town of Mina is in perfect conditions, on a paved road, which runs from Benguela to the Cavaco valley, the agricultural area of Benguela, administratively under the jurisdiction of the communal administration of Nossa Senhora da Graça.
The asphalt has existed since 2017, to facilitate the flow of products from the countryside to the city and vice versa.
Mina is also known as a sacred place, as there are different religious denominations, from Catholic, 7th Day Adventist, Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA), Evangelical Synodal Church of Angola (IESA) and the Baptist Church.
Anyone who travels to Mina sees lush landscapes, with mountains and greenery attracting the attention of any passerby.
Located 13 kilometers away, the sign of the Igreja Evangélica Sinodal de Angola (IESA), one of the secular denominations, born in the historic village of Caluquembe, Huíla province, indicates the Boa Esperança da Mina neighborhood, where several families who returned from Namibia are settled, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Zambia, which call for more basic social support and services.
Laurinda Calei, 47 years old, is Zambian. She joined national citizen Marcelo Calei, 65, in Zambia. Four children were born from the relationship, aged between 16 and 24. She lamented the state of her husband’s health, as he had been suffering from asthma for some time.
Coming from the province of Mundrunga, in Zambia, Laurinda Calei explained that the couple has been in the country since 2009. A return that seemed like happiness and joy turned into a nightmare, due to the asthma that bothers her husband.
She says that her husband’s decision to return to his country of origin was very well received by the family. However, she regrets the difficulties they experience in Mina, where they have to resort to artisanal stone exploration to survive.
News through the Ngola Yetu program
Due to the difficulties, Laurinda Calei and her husband already thought about returning to Zambia, but this intention did not materialize due to lack of money.
Laurinda Calei regularly follows news in Kimbundu from the Ngola Yetu program on Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA). She regrets that, due to the distance, her children are unable to study.
“The children are not studying. Without family here, combined with my husband’s illness, the situation tends to get worse”, he lamented, stating that the main concern is the future of the children. He explained that they have already sold all of their assets, due to the illness. .
Dig rocks to survive
With wrinkled hands, dusty and sweating, Bernardo Cambia, 53 years old, makes a living from stone exploration. Disabled, he lived by racing three-wheeled motorcycle taxis, known as caleluia.
Born in the municipality of Chongoroi, province of Benguela, Bernardo Cambia came from the Osiri camp, 75 kilometers from Otchivarongo, Namibia, in June 2012, having found accommodation in Mina.
He already worked as a fish climber in the fishing town of Baía Farta, in Benguela, but ended up giving up due to the distance. Today, to survive, he digs and piles stones to sell. The price varies depending on the size of the pile, between 5 and 11 thousand kwanzas.
“We were repatriated. Some stayed in Otchivarongo, Windhoek, Kakarara and others in Bokomo”, recalls Bernardo Cambia, who defends the insertion of returnees in agricultural projects. Amputated in the left leg, on March 23, 1988, due to the armed conflict , in Cuito, Bié, Bernardo Cambia worked at the United Nations.
“When I joined Osiri, for a long time, I worked with the UNHCR, holding the position of head of the disabled in the field”, he explained, adding that, with the achievement of peace, the Angolans were mobilized to return.
According to Bernardo, in the beginning, the promise was to find houses. “We also received a promise to find things that we didn’t work on”, he explained, highlighting that, in the beginning, UNHCR provided 100 dollars for each citizen, until their reintegration into society. He lamented that the difficulties increase every day.
No school for children
Initially, according to Bernardo Cambia, there were promises of scholarships for the children. Father of several children, aged between 7 and 22, Bernardo Cambia lamented the lack of a school close to the community to facilitate his children’s studies. “Life here is difficult. Firstly, it is far from the city. On the other hand, there are no businesses. The money spent on any business is lost in the blink of an eye”, he lamented.
The closest school to the site, he said, is located in the Calomburacos neighborhood, close to the House, “From here to Gaiato there is a good distance”, he said, adding that, without transport, it is a risk for children. Due to financial difficulties, cannot pay fees for all of his children. “I have two children attending classes normally at some schools, where we pay monthly fees. Combined with the issues, without a job, the situation becomes more complicated,” he said.
He suggested the scope of the Kwenda Program, to contribute to improving the quality of life, not only for returning citizens, but for the entire population living in difficult conditions in Mina.
In Mina it is better than in the refugee camp
Benedito Nguenga Augusto also came from Namibia. He says that living in Mina, in Benguela, is better than in Namibia, where they lived in the refugee camp.
Son of Benguelase parents, Benedito Nguenga Augusto says he was born in the border region between Rundu (Namibia) and Cuando Cubango.
Due to the lack of support, he preferred to drop out in 10th grade, in the municipality of Bocoio, to help his parents in Mina. In addition to exploring stone and sand, Benedito Nguenga Augusto lives by loading inert materials. “Life here in Mina is difficult. We can get money if we go to the mountains. Otherwise, it’s difficult,” he explained.
Loading a truck costs between 2 and 4 thousand kwanzas. With the amount, he said, it is now possible to purchase powdered detergent (omo), water, salt and other products.
Welcomed to the nursing home
Maria da Conceição, 55 years old, is also from Namibia. She said she previously lived in Rundu, Grootfontein and Windhoek, where she left in 2010 for the refugee camp. She left the former refugee camp in 2012, as part of the repatriation of Angolans to their areas of origin.
Born in the municipality of Chongoroi, Maria da Conceição, mother of five children, was welcomed into the nursing home after arriving in Benguela. As part of the resettlement policy for families returning from neighboring countries, it was installed in Mina.
He says that, in Mina, the main concern has to do with the lack of drinking water. “When we left Namibia, we were assured of finding a better life. At the time, the Ministry of Social Reinsertion provided good support, with the regular distribution of food and zinc sheets”, he recalls.
With the sheets, he explained, each family built their own house, albeit of precarious construction. He considers that life in Mina is difficult, due to the lack of bases for doing business or cultivating the land. He asks that they be given kits to create businesses. “We are visitors here. Even though we are from Benguela, we prefer to settle in Mina”, he said, highlighting that the children who came from Namibia, after finishing grade 12, are finding it difficult to continue their studies, due to a lack of financial conditions.
Construction of a school on site
The interviewee defended the construction of a school on the site, because the only primary school is located in Cachiva, far from Mina, making it impossible for her grandchildren to study. “The children are at home because they can’t get to school alone,” she lamented.
The lack of drinking water is another difficulty experienced in Mina. People have to spend 50 kwanzas to have water in a 10-liter drum. “Everyone can manage,” he said, adding that if someone gets sick at night, they will have nowhere to take them due to the lack of a medical center.
Defends the distribution of professional kits in the pastry areas, to create income for families. It is also the opinion that Kwenda be extended to families in Mina.
Maria da Conceição requested a visit from the provincial governor of Benguela, Luís Nunes, to find out about the living conditions of those families. “In Namibia we had water and electricity. Living in an area without these conditions creates many constraints,” she said.
Maria da Conceição is a native of Cubal, but preferred to settle in Mina. “When I arrived, my father and mother were no longer part of the world of the living. I also don’t know the whereabouts of my brothers, that’s why I’m in Mina. I can’t live in Cubal”, she said.
José Tchikola, 68 years old, has lived in Mina since 2008. He found a place in Mina, after his house was affected by floods, in the Lixeira Baixa neighborhood.
With his 20-liter water drum tied to his motorbike, his day is filled with selling water. He explained that each drum of water costs 50 kwanzas. He said he purchased the motorbike with money obtained from stone mining.
Reactivation of the water supply system
Angelia Tchiloca, from the Tchipiandulo neighborhood, requests the reactivation of the water supply system, which was already working in the past. “Before, we received water. We have already written many letters addressed to the Provincial Government and we have had no response,” she said, remembering that the situation has been going on since 2008.
To have water, he said, you need money. “Without money it is suffering. We have already spoken on the radio, we are waiting”, he said, adding that the other concern has to do with the distance children travel to get to school.
Another difficulty has to do with the lack of a medical center and police station. “When someone is sick, especially at night, it is impossible to go to the hospital, because of thieves. We have already asked for a tent to house the police and a vehicle to support the patients”, he requested.
Recreation place
Jeremias Eduardo “Pai Gerry” has lived in Mina for five years. A former resident of Tombas, Pai Gerry created a place of entertainment, where he placed a satellite dish for young people to follow football games. There he also set up a flag that symbolizes the sports area.
Father Gerry also created three football teams, called Petro de Luanda A and B and TP Mazembe do Congo.
The games that pit these teams against each other and those from the Graça neighborhood bring many people together. The promoter asked for the installation of a field, because the only one that exists is located in the Chiva neighborhood, and is very popular. “We need support to open a field”, he appealed. When there are Girabola or European games, young people are forced to follow all the matches that take place.
Neighborhood continues to grow despite difficulties
The head of the Boa Esperança-Mina sector, Jaime Garcia Baptista, praised the unity within the community and said that, despite the difficulties, the neighborhood continues to grow.
In addition to families returning from neighboring countries, the location also welcomes families injured due to the rains, in the Capiá Ndalo neighborhood, in Benguela. He explained that the Mine is a stone collection area. Most families survive by selling stone. The area is one of stone exploration. The area has a crusher, which employs a large proportion of young people. “We came as victims of accidents. Our houses had collapsed in the Capiandalo neighborhood, in addition to people from Calomanga and Calomburaco, they then transferred us to Mina”, he highlighted.
After a while, the neighborhood also received the first wave of families coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after Zambia, Namibia and Botswana, in 2012.
Neighborhood had more than a thousand people
An electrician by profession, Jaime Garcia Baptista, reported that, in the beginning, many batches were made. Initially, he said, the Mine welcomed 1,085 inhabitants, including those repatriated and injured.
Jaime Garcia Baptista reaffirmed the main concerns, which are the lack of water, medical center, school and electricity.
“Since we arrived here, in 2008, we have only had promises from the Government, to be able to rehabilitate the neighborhood. We continue to wait. It’s been 15 years”, he lamented.
According to the coordinator, families are forced to buy water because the existing water is brackish. He recalls that, in the beginning, families received water from cisterns from the Provincial Water Directorate. After some time, the process stopped. The Administration opened a borehole, but the water is brackish and unfit for consumption.
Creation of more water points
The creation of more water points, the construction of a medical post, supply of electricity from the public network and a primary and secondary school of the 1st Cycle, are the points indicated by the head of the neighborhood as a priority, in addition to a police unit . For police cases, he indicated, the neighborhoods of Graça and Cassoco are used. He recalled that, in the beginning, the crime rate was high, but it reduced with the intervention of the community itself.
He highlighted the holding of football competitions between neighborhoods and zones, in which the neighborhoods Calungulo, Mbupula, Calueque, Lopes, Moladi, Boa Esperança and others participate.
Administration delivers agricultural kits
Sixteen families returning from Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are in Mina, in Benguela, received, on Sunday, agricultural promotion kits, as part of the program to combat hunger and poverty.
The kits aim to promote agricultural production and contribute to increasing family income.
The deputy municipal administrator for the Political, Social and Communities sector of Benguela, João Tomás, said that, in addition to returning citizens, the program will also include citizens from other communities. “We took advantage of the 17th of September, National Hero’s Day, to deliver the kits, which also include those for traditional midwives, agriculture and pastry”, he said.
Regarding the returning families, the person in charge explained that they make agriculture their survival. And, due to the concerns they raised, the agricultural promotion aspect was taken into account. “The delivery of the kits aimed to respond to one of the concerns raised by the families who returned and found shelter in the Mine”, he highlighted, also mentioning that the families will be accompanied by the municipal Agriculture department, which will accompany them and help them work. with the kits and monetize them for your own benefit.
More actions in favor of families
Regarding concerns regarding basic services requested by returning families, João Tomás guaranteed that the water concern is being addressed.
“The neighborhood has already opened boreholes to meet the needs of the same populations. Unfortunately the water is brackish. We are already working with the Energy and Water department to transform the water into drinkable water”, he said, highlighting that, for now, it will watching this community with water cisterns.
João Tomás said that there are also projects in the Health and Education sectors. “We don’t have a medical post there, but there is a team that constantly moves with a mobile car to provide assistance and monitoring to families”, he informed.
The deputy municipal administrator of Benguela explained that there is a program to benefit not only the returning families, but also the entire Mina community.
“In addition to the Municipal Administration, there is a program from the Provincial Government of Benguela and depending on financial availability, more social services will be created for the good of the communities”, he said.
Government continues to support vulnerable families
Families returning from Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Zimbabwe continue to deserve special attention from the Government, assured the head of the department of Social Action and Gender Equality of the Government of Benguela, Carla Filipe.
He explained that following the repatriation process of Angolan citizens who were refugees in neighboring countries, many decided to return, of their own free will, to their areas of origin.
For those who went to Benguela, family location work was carried out to see where they came from. Most returned to their original municipalities and those who did not want to return remained in the municipality of Benguela.
For better settlement, he explained, the government identified the neighborhood of Mina, where the former refugees were settled, with each family receiving a plot of land.
For six months, he explained, the same families received a basic food basket and were sent to the Ministries of Health and Justice and Human Rights, to regularize their documentation, such as birth registration and identity cards. The children were enrolled in school.
After six months, according to the person responsible, the provincial office continues to monitor the same families, because not everyone has found a job. “The years have passed and, to this day, we see many returnees complaining about the State not helping, which is not quite true. It’s okay that we are in a context that, for all families, is complicated, but these families continue receiving help,” he said.
He reported that there are families considered vulnerable because they are sick, elderly or disabled. She informed that the Provincial Office of Social Action and Gender Equality of the Provincial Government of Benguela continues to provide support to these vulnerable families.
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