On the first day of the Level 5 nationwide lockdown, a news reporter drove around the township recording people not complying with the regulations. People were roaming around in the streets and sitting on tuck shop corners as per usual. This was because they were not given proper information so did not have the full understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and the seriousness of it.
When Level 4 began, one of the rules was that everyone outside their homes must wear a face mask. People complied. Even taxi drivers wouldn’t allow passengers without a mask into the taxi.
MaHlatshwayo, a mother of four, lives in the south east of Johannesburg in a township called Eden Park. She sews for a living, and, unlike many other local businesses which have not been making any money during lockdown, hers has survived. MaHlatshwayo saw an opportunity in this pandemic to make and sell masks. Although she is not making as much moneyas she used to before the lockdown because masks cost only R10-25 each, with her innovative mind, she is at least able to buy bread for the family. This teaches other residents that you don’t only need formal education to be self-employed and earn an income. Job creators are among us.
This article was submitted on 25 May 2020. You may republish this article,so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
