Meet Blind Man Who Walks 3KM To Fetch Water For Himself And His Disabled Sister

Ernest Mdunge, a blind man from Elandskop in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, has to walk 3km everyday to fetch water for himself and his mentally disabled sister. He is 49-years-old and his sister Bongekile Hlengwa, 46-years-old, lives in a dilapidated hut built with bricks left over from a demolished house. The roof is made of grass, and rain and wind enter between the stacked bricks.

According to tge DailySun, the family has no tap in the yard and Mdunge has to walk 3km to the “Jojo” water tank in the area.

“I use my feet to feel and guess if I’m still on the right path. Sometimes I hit myself on things and when that happens, I miss the path. I have to take steps back and try to find a spot that is familiar to my feet for me to find my way back. My trip to the water tank takes me more than an hour. I carry two 20 litre containers so that they last me for days. Sometimes a neighbour helps me by giving me water from his house, but it doesn’t happen always,” he shared.

The siblings survive on Mdunge’s disability grant and on vegetables he grows with seeds donated by neighbours. His sister, Hlengwa, is still being assessed at the local clinic to see if she qualifies for a grant.

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Mdunge says his worst fear is that the house could collapse at any time. The roof has holes and the floor is wet as water gets in during the rain. The house was built as part of a project by the Vulindlela Development Association (VDA). The VDA received government money to build houses for residents of Vulindlela, Pietermaritzburg. Many of the houses were demolished in 2014 because of their poor quality. But now Mdunge is at a loss as he says VDA is no where to be seen after promising that they would come back but didn’t.

A member of the tea of VDA,  Senzo Mfayela, says he will come and re asses and attend to the matter.