By some, this week could be called not-worth-mentioning, insignificant or even a failure. However, the events of this week starkly show the reality of living in Khayelitsha, especially for a parent of a disabled child, and are thus indeed worth sharing.

Just as last week, Kuti’s Day-care centre has been broken into. This time the culprits have been relentless. The centre has been turned upside down, damaged beyond recognition on the inside. Furniture has been torn apart, computers are smashed on the floor, and children’s toys are lying scattered and broken on the floor as a painful reminder of what the centre is supposed to be; a safe haven for children with extraordinary special needs. Kutala, the owner of and driving force behind the centre, is devastated. This means it will take even longer for her to re-open the centre and give a home to the children. The question is whether she will find the financial resources to furnish the centre once again. 

By coincidence, after an hour not a single mother has showed up for the group session. Not that we would be able to HOLD a session in the centre, but it does make us wondering. My translator phones the various ladies to find out about their absence. The reasons are a reflection of the daily struggle these women face. Buhle has got a chance for a one-day job, to stand in for someone else. This might be the only income she will find this month, so she wants to seize the opportunity. Since it is raining, Lindy doesn’t want to walk with her child to the centre, and the mini-bus has refused to accommodate her child. In Fezeka’s area of Khayelitsha, load shedding has arrived (power-cut). She wants to stay at home and wait for electricity to come back so she can do her cooking, washing etc. Nomsa’s child has fallen ill and has to be taken to the clinic which will take all day. So many different reasons, all legitimate and understandable. It clearly demonstrates that access to basic necessities cannot be taken for granted in Khayelitsha. Getting access to income, public transport, electricity and healthcare is a daily concern, takes up a lot of the mothers’ time and complicates caring for their child and their family. Hopefully next week, the odds are in their and Kutala’s favour and we can find a way to continue with this process.