Most of Grahamstown East residents depends to 'Imbawula' in cooking food, in getting heat and also boiling water during the so cold winter season.
The Grocott's Mail reporter visited Ethembeni Old Age Home and Extension 9 to find out if residents are coping to this uncomfortable cold in last few days.
Most of Grahamstown East residents depends to 'Imbawula' in cooking food, in getting heat and also boiling water during the so cold winter season.
The Grocott's Mail reporter visited Ethembeni Old Age Home and Extension 9 to find out if residents are coping to this uncomfortable cold in last few days.
Mhise Mbonde, the residents from Ethembeni, said that 'Imbawula' is been her help for many year and it was used by her mother to make her food.
It is a traditional way to me and I can assure you that it helped me during the hardest times of my life, she explained. I don't have adequate clothing, food and I am shivering from this collaboration of poverty and cold.
She elaborated on how she made herself the 'Imbawula', saying that she used a 20 litre tin with holes on its sides, woods and papers for starting fire.
I collected woods during the day and I made sure that I put everything I have inside the house because there are people who will come and steal everything, she said.
Mbonde, who live with two year old boy, in a one room house, said there are people who don't want to work or do things for themselves, they like to take from others and they can steal your fire. Mbonde said that it is hard to survive in this season that is cold and raining, when you are hungry. She concluded by saying that especially with the freezing cold temperature lately which left her and her baby sleeping for the whole Saturday.
Thabo Chibi, the resident from Extension 9, said that this is the saddest season the he have experience in his life. Those who have the means to support or help urgently are not do so. He added that this season needs a lot of money so that he can buy himself warm clothes. He said that Imbawula helps him to save money because he won't bother to buy paraffin. I am unemployed, how am I suppose to cope with this freezing cold, if I don't have money to buy whatever I need, he said. He added that this biting cold will continue up until the end of August.
