Taxi driver, passenger give unemployed bread
Every Friday, Springs taxi driver Jozi Mahlangu and passenger Dumisani Nkosi hand out bread to job seekers on local street corners. What started as a small act of kindness has become a weekly tradition of hope, dignity and ubuntu, helping those searching for work face the day with a full stomach.
Feeding people one loaf of bread at a time. That’s what Springs Taxi Association driver Jozi Mahlangu and his regular passenger, Dumisani Nkosi from KwaThema, do by handing out bread to job seekers on street corners in Springs.
Nkosi told the Springs Advertiser about their newly started initiative. He said they began giving out bread every Friday morning to men looking for work in New Era after frequently seeing them when dropping off other passengers.
He added that many of the job seekers are not fortunate enough to find work for the day and often have children waiting at home.
“Some take the bread we give and put it in their bags to take home to their families. It helps because they can eat it for supper and again the next morning,” said Nkosi.
He said the idea came from seeing the daily hardships job seekers face when driving past them. Nkosi explained that the bread is paid for out of their pockets, though some commuters do contribute.
The initiative began in April, before the Easter holidays, and the bread is bought from a bakery in Kwa-Thema. The duo buys 15 to 20 loaves to give out. He said they give one per person because they want most of them to get something.
“When we started this, I was emotional seeing people appreciate what we gave them. You can see they’re truly happy,” Nkosi said.
Mahlangu said the job seekers have come to recognise his taxi when they arrive with bread and always show gratitude.
“As an empathetic person, I feel fulfilled seeing someone smile because of what we do. Practising ubuntu is important to us,” said Mahlangu.
He added that any leftover bread goes to job seekers waiting at street corners in Selcourt. Mahlangu said he would welcome support from other local organisations to help grow the initiative.
He hopes job seekers do eventually find employment and support the taxi association by using their services.
“We have many job seekers in the area. It would be a beautiful thing if people helped us so that someone can work with a full stomach,” he said.
