The family of the 16 people who died from suspected food poisoning last year in Kayova Village, Kavango East Region, has expressed their appreciation to the government for improving their living conditions.

The family shared this when the nbc News team visited the family.

Before the tragic incident, the Shishugho family survived on selling reeds in exchange for traditional brew residue as well as on the head of the family, Godfried Shishugho's pension grant.

Shishugho says losing 16 family members at once was not easy, but receiving support during trying times kept them going.

"In my house, there was not a single person benefiting from the government grants, from my children to my grandchildren, but this year the government did help by registering my grandchildren, and the 350 that they are getting is really making a difference; they are buying their cosmetics and also catering for those that are going to school."

At least all eight children of the family are now registered and receiving government social grants. 

Shishugho also commended the Ministry of Gender for providing counselling.

He says one year after the incident accrued, social workers still visit the family now and then, which he said is quite helpful.

"The grave has been a problem; the grave was only covered with sad, and goats used to use the room around there, which was not giving me peace. Then my son Henry spoke to the regional leaders, and now the grave is well covered. I am really grateful to the government. We used to struggle with water; now I have running water at my house."

The Shishugho family is among the beneficiaries of the Piloting Small Scale Irrigation Scheme by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The ministry drilled a borehole for them in May this year, which also caters for surrounding homesteads.

Now that the family has access to water, they started a vegetable garden, which the Ministry of Agriculture will help to extend and provide training.