It will not be my house alone, says Shikongo

Paralympic gold medallist Ananias Shikongo says the house that Standard Bank Namibia is going to build for him will be open to his Paralympic teammates.

The bank announced at an event hosted by Disability Sport Namibia that it would build Shikongo a house worth N$500 000.

Speaking to Namibian Sun about the donation, Shikongo thanked the media for writing about him living in a shack.

“I must really thank the media for promoting my story. Had it not been for the media who really went all out to write my story, people like Standard Bank would not have known where I live,” he said.

Shikongo is overjoyed about moving out of the shack, and also about the fact that the house will be near an athletics track.

“We''re looking at places such as Academia and Olympia because I am not yet done with sports and I have to be close to a training stadium,” he said. Although it is not yet known as how many bedrooms the house will have, Shikongo said the number of rooms does not matter to him, as long as he is able to accommodate his teammates too.

“I am there to help and with Nambala, he is my brother and that is why we chose to live together. Because I want him to train hard and also achieve something like I did, we will move to that house together.

“I am not only targeting Nambala and my guide Even Tjivivu, but all the Paralympic athletes,” he said.

He said a sport career is not always easy, as one must invest many years of training before achieving success.

“Because I know the sporting life, I am looking ahead to say that I will not just target one person and leave someone if I see that they have the potential and let them go without accommodation or see them go back to their villages and suffer, I have to help.

“I know how we struggled with transport to the stadiums so if I get that house it is for us all so that we can all be close to the stadium,” he said.

Shikongo said he hopes they will soon find jobs too.

“We''re hoping that we also get jobs because I might have a house but what will I eat and how will I pay water and electricity?” he said.



Partnership with guide

After Shikongo and his running guide Tjivivu brought glory to the nation, much has been said about the importance of the guides in sports for the blind. Shikongo and Tjivivu started running together in 2010 and the relationship has been growing, although Shikongo feels that he does not thank his guide enough.

“At times I feel like I do not thank my super brother Even enough because we have been together for so long and I thank him so much because this achievement was done by us all,” he said.

He said Standard Bank''s donation has made it easier for the government to reward his guide with a house as well but if that does not happen, his mind is already made up that he is going to live with Tjivivu.

“I cannot leave Even behind and let him continue renting, we will move together to that house because we are like twin brothers now,” he said.



Car

Also having struggled with transport to the stadium, Shikongo was last week given a car by pastor Jackson Babi of the House of Joy Ministries.

Shikongo said the car came at the right time, as he is preparing for the world championships next year.

“I am so happy that the prophet gave me the car and he has really changed my life especially since I used to struggle with going to training. Now he has made it easier for me and, even better, the car can take me to my home village. He has shown other churches that it is not just about taking from the community but also giving back to them,” he said.

Standard Bank has not said whether a plot for Shikongo''s house has been found yet.



KAINO NGHITONGO