An unemployed mother and her six children have been left destitute after heavy rains destroyed their home in Otjiwarongo this week.

Otjiwarongo has experienced significant rainfall over the past few weeks, and a family in the New Ombili informal settlement lost their roof when strong winds blew it off. Rebecca Shipanga, the head of the household, spent seven years building her six-room house.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while Shipanga was preparing her children for school the next day.

 As the heavy rain began, the family decided to go to bed, locking their doors and closing the windows, unaware of the chaos that was about to unfold.

Shortly after, a powerful gust of wind tore the roof off their house, leaving the family and their belongings exposed to the rain. 

"The roof lifted on one side, so I checked the other two rooms, and we decided to move to the living room. Although the roof was also missing on one side of the living room, we stayed on the side that was still intact. Meanwhile, the wind was still trying to lift the entire room while the rain poured down heavily."

The family sought refuge with a neighbor until the storm passed.

Now, Shipanga faces the daunting task of replacing their roof. 

"I'll need new roofing materials because the iron sheets are damaged. When it rains heavily, we no longer have a place to sleep. I bought hard black plastic covers for one side because the iron sheets were lifted and are now ruined. I've tied them down with wires."

She estimates that replacing the roof may take months, given the ongoing heavy rains being reported in Otjiwarongo and across the country.