Vosloorus man needs help to secure job in UK
"We all lived in a one-room shack which has now been extended to three rooms, we struggle a lot when it is raining and windy.”

The Sehlabo family from Somalia Park informal settlement, Vosloorus, is pleading for financial support to help their eldest son secure a job opportunity in the United Kingdom (UK).
Kathorus MAIL received a request for assistance from Dineo Sehlabo (46), who was pleading for help on behalf of her son Thato.
The 28-year-old believes getting the job will turn around his family’s situation.
He said he applied for a general worker and driver post at a UK-based company called Lifeline Agency Limited, which provides domiciliary services.
However, he was unable to complete the process due to insufficient funds, some of the outstanding requirements include an English test which requires at least R4 999.
A one-way ticket to the UK is estimated to cost R13 000 and registration fees of £100 (R2 047.37), certificates of sponsorship and a visa for £1 773 (R36 449.52). The total sum is at least R51 496.89, calculated on November 24 currency exchange between SA and UK.
At this stage, he has spent R3 000 he got as a loan to complete his tuberculosis test, passport, police clearance and Covid-19 vaccination certificate.
Thato comes from a poverty-stricken family. His mother and stepfather are unemployed and the family depend on part-time domestic work and social grants.
He has also been unemployed for almost a year and finds it difficult to raise his three children including his seven-years-old son, and two daughters aged five and one-year-old.
“The situation at home has been bad from a young age. I have three siblings, two boys aged 15 and ten, and a six-year-old girl. We all live in a one-room shack which has now been extended to three rooms. We struggle a lot when it is raining and windy,” said Thato.
“My mother and stepfather are unemployed and sometimes work as a domestic worker, cleaning and washing clothes to put food on the table. We mostly depend on R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant and my sibling’s Sassa grant money,” he explained.
“It has been tough, I have been trying to man up as I am the eldest. Sometimes my siblings expect me to change our situation, although they do not say it directly I can read through their eyes and I can pick it from our conversation.”
Thato is studying for a Bachelor of Education (BEd) for the foundation phase and is currently doing his second year at Unisa. He is also wrapping up his six-month caregiving course to obtain his higher certificate for a nursing aid qualification.
“With the high unemployment rate and lack of jobs in our country, I started applying in other countries and by the grace of God this was an opportunity I could not decline,” said Thato.
He said he heard about the vacancy from a family friend who works in the UK, and she recommended him since she’s privy to his situation.
Although he hopes to grab the opportunity with both hands, he intends to continue with his studies to become a teacher.
The deadline for completing the application is January 5, 2023.
To assist the family, members of the public can donate any amount they can afford. To donate contact Thato at 073 687 4132.