WATCH: Mother of two relates her difficulties on the streets of Rosettenville
“We want a chance to survive in this dwindling life,” – she said.
Life has been difficult for many and it sometimes forces you to do extreme things to make ends meet.
Take for instance Kenilworth’s Taby*, who harboured dreams to be a great mother to her two daughters but ended up on the streets of Rosettenville.
Taby tried to empower herself by acquiring a diploma in media consultancy from Boston College and has also attained a Security Grade C with Psira. She also completed short courses for call centres, a Grade R-based learning course and has attained a first-aid certificate. With the high unemployment rate, all this has yielded nothing for her in terms of getting jobs.
“I don’t smoke or drink. I am on the streets because it was the last resort. It is painful when you have nothing and when you try to do something you are met by harsh circumstances that you don’t have control over.
“The community rejects and we are treated as outcasts. We are selling our bodies to willing buyers. We don’t coerce anyone yet we are victimised by the community we live in,” she said.
She said the community is infested with drug dealers and criminals, and the community is turning a blind eye to them. “They pounced on us as we are defenceless. I work for myself and my well-being, there’s no person to whom I’m giving drugs to.
“All I want is to survive. I make as little as R50 per session. I’m paying R2500 for rent and I don’t want to be kicked out for not paying. I cannot be homeless, at least I can do something with my body. I’m pleading with the community to give us a chance to ‘work’ because we don’t want to trouble anyone,” she said.
*Not her real name.
