Potholes create jobs in Windsor East

Residents of Windsor East are teaching street children how to make their own money from unattended potholes.

“Our aim was not just to fill up the potholes, but we wanted to show all the street kids around our area that there are ways of making enough cash other than begging or helping people push their drug businesses,” said resident Moeti Moalusi.

Moalusi said that potholes remained unfilled in the streets for a long time while street children roam around the streets doing nothing.

“We then decided to do something about it, but we did not look at just filling a pothole, we used these potholes to help create jobs for streets kids,” explained Moalusi.

He said it is sad some of these streets kids are not there by choice, but ran out of options and they don’t have a choice.

“Given an opportunity to rebuild their lives, most of these street kids can work and make a decent living. But because we just see them as street kids, we don’t even see their potential,” said Moalusi.

He said they called a meeting for the street children and they came in numbers.

“Windsor accommodates over 80 street kids,” he said.

“We said to them, we are not going to give them money, but help find working tools so they can start filling up the holes while asking for money from the passing motorists,” he said.

Moalusi said before allowing the street children to work, they showed them how to fix a pothole.

“We worked as residents and within a few hours we managed to collect R180 from motorists,” he said.

Moalusi and others said that they believe this can help change the homeless children’s lives .

“They are not all bad and are not criminals – all they need is help,” said Moalusi.

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