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Some residents of Ombika Location in the Etosha National Park have expressed their hopelessness for a better future ahead of the elections next week. 

They as their forefathers have resided in the park for centuries.

Home to about 200 inhabitants, Ombika is situated some 17 kilometres from the posh Okaukuejo lodge.

The sleepy village leaves much to be desired, with no electricity and residents prohibited from collecting firewood outside their small enclosure. Isolating them from the park makes matters worse for these families.

Many expressed that, with the high unemployment rate, lack of business opportunities, and lack of proper ablution facilities, their hopes for a better future have been dashed by those they elected into power over the three decades.

Men who are regarded as the breadwinners are also struggling to keep afloat with no jobs; they say their hopes are diminishing by the day.

"We are greatly oppressed here in Ombika with conditions. Our toilet facilities are not in good order, and our electricity was cut off. Our location is regarded as illegal, and we don't understand. Why do you say this is an illegal location while this is a democratic country? We must all be treated the same way; let no one feel left out. But that's not what we see here. Even if there are vacancies, we ask them to grant us that opportunity on positions on the ground level as cleaners, assistant rangers, and every time we find our CVs at the dumping sites or in the trash bins," said Rusten Gawaseb.

Another unemployed grade 10 dropout, 35-year-old Bernard Hanegab, is also struggling to make ends meet.

He and two of his friends have organised themselves to carve out a living through the sale of little birds for a song to make ends meet, as they do not receive any social grants and are all unemployed.

"Life is not good because of the problems we have. Sleeping in darkness and even snakes can bite you. We don't even have work, and this is how we survive by making birds. They must assist us at least with wood to bring us the truck so we can get the wood. It's dangerous to enter there and go and collect wood because there are animals."

To kill time, the majority of the men in the locality play dominoes, and telling each other local and ancient folklore stories is what keeps them busy before waking up and repeating the same routine.

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Ndapanda Shuuya