When the Ambani quadruplets of Khubvi were born almost a year ago, many people jumped onto the bandwagon, promising to help raise the quads. After their first birthday, their mother, Patricia Ambani, has a story of woe.

They were supposed to celebrate their birthday in style in September, but because of their desperate financial situation, the mother is drinking from the cup of melancholy, so to speak. "After the birth of my children, many people promised to come to my aid, but it happened to be just that - promises," she said earlier this week.

Patricia says she is still struggling to raise them alone. This week, the single mother who has two other children aged 14 and 7, came out and pleaded poverty. “Things are not the way they should be. My children are suffering. They do not have anything to eat as the milk they used to get from Social Development has been stopped,” she said. According to her, the clothing they have is becoming too small for them.

After the birth of the quads, senior traditional leader Vho Thovhele Kennedy Tshivhase offered the family an amount of R5 000, which was used to open a trust account. Since its inception, the account failed to attract any funds and at present is almost empty.

The current chairperson of the fund, Mr Frederick Silima of Professional Technical College, who also contributed to the family, confirmed that the family is struggling. “I become jealous when I read in the papers that local leaders have visited the triplets on the other side of Nzhelele and left enough stuff to last them a long time, while we do not have anything here. I am just praying that they hear about our plight and visit us, so that they can see the situation for themselves,” she said.

Those wishing to assist the family can do so by phoning 079 370 7320 or 073 650 0556 or drop something into the following trust account: Ambani UIUT Family Trust, ABSA Thohoyandou, Account Number 9255209224.