By Buziwe Nocuze
- A 35-year-old Cape Town graduate spent more than four years without a job, which caused him depression and sleepless nights.
- He now washes trailers for R150 a day after approaching a trailer owner for work when he had no food.
A 35-year-old Cape Town graduate has been without a job for more than four years.
Not finding work caused him depression.
“Being a graduate and not finding a job is very stressful, you end up thinking about the hard work, sacrifices you made to obtain that qualification. I was struggling to sleep asking myself if I would die without getting the job,” he said.
He spent days without eating. His only personal care item was a small container of Vaseline.
He approached a trailer owner to ask for work. The owner said he was not looking for anyone, but the man explained he had nothing to eat.
The owner agreed to pay him R150 a day. He now washes more than three trailers a day, but in some weeks he only washes three trailers the whole week.
“I am grateful because even for the days that I didn’t wash the trailers my boss gives me R100, if he were someone else he wouldn’t give me anything,” he said.
On days when there are no trailers, he washes his boss’s cars to show his appreciation.
With his earnings, he buys groceries and toiletries and pays for his insurance. He has family but says everyone is hustling for themselves.
He is now looking forward to taking a bath and smelling good, something he had stopped doing while looking for work. He could not afford to buy body spray.
“My dream is to get a job, build myself a home, and get married,” he said.
Pictured above: A soap bucket.
Image source: Pexels
