By Buziwe Nocuze
• A Cape Town pensioner works three days a week as a domestic worker to support three unemployed children who are struggling to find jobs despite sending out applications.
• She earns R300 a day, using the extra income to buy monthly groceries, pay funeral cover and help her children afford transport to submit their CVs.
For many years, a Cape Town pensioner worked as a domestic worker to support her family.
She used her income to take her children to school and hoped they would one day graduate, find jobs and take care of her.
That hope has not become a reality.
The mother said all three of her children are unemployed.
She said they have qualifications and are sending out CVs but are not getting jobs.
“On my mind I thought that they would get jobs as soon as they graduated but I was wrong because all three of them are not working. They are sending CVs out but they don’t get jobs,” she said.
With her children relying on her pension, she realised the money was no longer enough.
Her grant could not cover food, bills and other household costs.
She decided to contact her former employers.
She said she knew they already had someone working for them but still took a chance.
“By calling them I took a chance because I knew that they have someone but I knew that if they hear someone needing something to assist they will let me know,” she said.
She said having a good working relationship over many years made it easier to ask for help.
Her former employers agreed to take her back.
She now works three days a week.
She earns R300 a day, bringing in about R3,600 a month.
“The R3,600 I make a month now adds to my pension money. I clean and do the washing for my former bosses,” she said.
She said the work is not difficult because it is what she has done most of her life.
She plans to stop working only when one of her children finds a job.
The extra money has changed their situation.
She can now buy food that lasts the whole month.
She also pays for the family funeral policy and gives her children money for transport to submit CVs.
Before this, she said their food would run out before month end.
She said watching her children struggle is painful.
“As parents we don’t work as domestic workers for fun. We are doing it for our kids,” she said.
She said her prayer is that all job seekers, especially her children, will soon find work.
Pictured above: Cleaning supplies
Image source: Sourced
