Among the blooming wild flowers at the foot of the Piketberg Mountains, in the Western Cape, a young Khoisan boy listened as the men of his tribe spoke about their hunting expeditions while sipping on a calabash filled to the brim with joala (traditional fermented beer).

As the sun set behind the spire of the historic church in Aurora, Paul Maarman (61), affectionately known as Oom Guppy, waited patiently to embark on a solo hunting trip into the plains of the Karoo, a rite of passage when a ‘Bushman’ boy becomes a man, not once thinking that he was about to abandon the stillness of his home.

“As a ‘child of the South African soil’ being Khoisan was my identity; a part of my entire being,” said the sage elder, who has become a celebrated member of the Farrarmere Gardens community.

“Family conflict and breakdown in relationships prompted me to embark on a journey which would see me leaving my parental home.”

Making his way to Olifantsfontein, Guppy successfully attained a qualification as a boilermaker.

“The shiny lights of city living entranced me and I was soon making a life in a place where tradition and culture is often forgotten,” he said, pain etched across his face.

“While South Africans celebrated the dawn of a new era in 1994, my life was thrown into turmoil. Everyone was celebrating their newfound freedom, for me it was the start of a journey to remember who I am.”

Guppy explains that during a rugby match at Tuks, he suffered an injury which left his left hand deformed yet functional – the injury led to him losing his job.

A journey to Benoni
Broke and unemployed, Guppy found himself living on the streets, hoping for a handout to sate gnawing hunger pains.

“One day I watched a couple of men digging through rubbish, pulling plastic bottles, glass and tin from the garbage like precious treasure,” he said.

“I realised that becoming a litter picker would enable me to earn an honest living. As I started my collections, it also dawned on me that I was contributing to cleaning the environment, gently tending to nature as God commanded us to.”

Travelling across the country, drawing a rickety wagon filled with recycling, Guppy soon found shelter in the crumbling walls of the old Benoni Technical School, in Benoni South.

“There is a bustling community of recyclers living and working from the building,” he said, his high cheekbones lifting as a smile crossed his face.

“For some, rubbish picking is a means of making a living, but I saw it as an honourable way of living in harmony with nature.”

At the beginning of 2022, a well-paying job and the fear of being mugged saw Gappy taking refuge under a tree in Farrarmere Gardens.

“I didn’t want to scare the residents, thinking that a hobo was moving into their area. I approached the residents of a nearby home, explaining that I just needed a safe space to sleep.

“Instead of chasing me away, I was invited to make use of a Wendy house. I could not remember when I last had such a comfortable night’s rest.

“Without knowing me, the kind-hearted resident, who has become a close friend, invited me to stay in exchange for minimal rent. After nearly 30 years, I had a place to call home.”

Continuing with his recycling efforts, Guppy was offered a permanent job by Sam Hunt, a Gardens resident and local do-gooder.

“Sam looked at me and said, ‘Oom, your legs are too old to be walking so far, tomorrow you are going to come work with me,” he said, letting out a laugh of joy.

“For the past year, I have been overseeing the company’s internal recycling operations.”

Honouring his heritage
It has been nearly four decades since Oom Guppy cast his eyes up to the towering peaks of the Piketberg, but he says that Khoisan culture, which is rooted in living in harmony with all of creation, kept him grounded during life’s storms.

“It is important to think for yourself. Don’t listen to others, just think,” he said.

“The traditions that were passed down from generation to generation kept this ‘boesman’ safe on the streets,” he said, with a gentle smile.

“I fear God and no one else, and it was He that guided me every step of the way, bringing me home.”

Speaking of his culture, he said that every South African could benefit from getting their feet dirty.

“Life is busy and noisy. Very few people can hear the silence. I found peace during the darkest days by simply becoming quiet and not giving in to the quick fixes that this world has to offer,” he said.

“My advice is to become self-centred, get to know yourself and never forget where you came from. Follow the path the Lord has set out for you and don’t become consumed by the bright lights.”

Now having a place to call his own, Guppy’s last wish is to replace his ID, which was stolen during a mugging a decade ago.

“We have been to the Department of Home Affairs on countless occasions, yet our efforts have been futile,” he said.

“According to the system, I do not exist. Before our Father calls me to come into His presence, I just want my ID book, which says ‘Paul, a son of the Khoisan, lived.”

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