Ms Rosemary Kunene:

I ask the Chairman to trust me when I say I will be brief. Mr. Sibanda referred to the suggestion that being given the right to cook represents an improvement. A food hall has been introduced in my centre. When I go there, I mostly get water and fruit because I cannot eat the food that is there. I wonder whether it would be possible for people to get vouchers to go into shops to get what they want. The food is being bought in SuperValu. If I were given a voucher, I could avail of the wider selection in that shop to get what I want. We are told we can write down what we want, but because I am a difficult person, they do not bring what I want regardless of what I write down. I understand that not too many people might want to buy what I look for. I ask the committee to consider my suggestion that we be given vouchers that we can use ourselves. In the case of people who spend all their time in direct provision, the vouchers are not sufficient for the whole week. We are given 45 points to use for seven days. If we want to get a meal, such as a lunch, it costs four points. If we used ten points a day, we would need 70 points a week, but we get just 45 points. Toiletries are not included. We still have to get toiletries and all that by ourselves. I do not know how the points are weighted. Many parents have told me that the points they get do not suffice for the entire week. Children are living on bread. When we talk about improvement, all I can say is that it has not really happened.