Hilmah Hashange

Residents from different villages and settlements in the Hardap region flocked to Mariental to withdraw their N$750 Emergency Income Grant (EIG) on Friday.
Some residents, many of them unemployed youth started queuing at various banks in town from Thursday as early as 07h00 to withdraw the grant.
The EIG was established to benefit unemployed persons between the ages of 18 and 59 and those who lost their livelihoods in the informal sector as a result of the lockdown that was implemented by government in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus also known as Covid-19. 
The grant was launched on 9 April and qualifying people have until end of this month to register for the grant. Those that received their grant were grateful to the government for the relief.
 “I registered on Saturday, 11 April and only received a response back on Thursday, 16 April. I am however very grateful to the government for giving us this money and I will spend it wisely,” said 22-year-old Marius Amseb who is unemployed.
Isack Fredericks (25) who is also unemployed said he would buy groceries with the money to help his mother out since she is the only one receiving an income in the household.
Kalkrand resident Valerie Doeses is a 27-year-old unemployed woman who travelled to Mariental to withdraw her grant. “I am grateful for the grant. The coronavirus killed our plans to establish our business. I will use this money to buy myself some food and the rest I will spend on groceries,” she said.
“I got the N$750 of Covid-19 given by the Ministry of Finance. I am very happy, I managed to buy the much-needed groceries for my household and for my sister and mother in Hoachanas. The money really helped me out, apart from the groceries, I also bought a few winter clothes. I would really like to thank my government, we really appreciate its efforts,” Eveline Hanse, unemployed Mariental resident.