TSHKUNDA – A resident of Tshikunda village outside Thohoyandou, Ms Livhuwani Nemakonde (26), is a blessed woman but the blessings are making her one of the most worried people in the area. Livhuwani gave birth to three babies at the Tshilidzini Hospital about two months ago, on July 25.

What makes her feel that giving birth to the triplets is not a blessing to her is the fact that she spends much of her time trying to explore some ways in which she can feed and clothe the babies. Both Livhuwani and the babies’ father are unemployed. They rely on the child support grant of R170 that she gets for her first-born daughter, Funanani. She and her other three sisters, together with her sisters’ children, are squatting at her eldest sister’s home. Lvhuwani’s mother passed away way back in 1989, leaving seven children behind.

Her father has since married another woman. She told Mirror that the nurses used to tell her that she was carrying two babies each time she went to the local clinic for monthly check-ups. “I nearly collapsed when the nurses told me that I had given birth to triplets at Tshilidzini Hospital,” Livhuwani said.

When asked whether she had notified the Department of Health and Welfare about her situation, Livhuwani said that she was not aware that the social workers could assist her if her situation justified it. She further revealed that the babies, Mutshidzi, Rinae and Kharendwe, are gradually losing weight, due to malnutrition.

Anyone who wishes to assist the poor family in any way can phone Livhuwani at Tel: 0833300771.