By Buziwe Nocuze
- Nelisa Nteleko-Pani spends R2,500 on groceries for her family and sends R1,500 to her mother in the Eastern Cape monthly.
- The Lusikisiki mother works from 8am to 5pm but cannot afford private schools or medical aid for kids.
Nelisa Nteleko-Pani works hard to look after her family in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape. She is a site administrator who works from eight am until five pm every day.
Nteleko-Pani has two daughters and is married. Every month she spends R2,500 on food for her home. She also sends R1,500 to her mother to help with her groceries.
The mother hoped to find a job in a hospital because she did her training there. She also looked for work at government offices. But she says there are no jobs available.
“I am grateful to the bosses who gave me my current job because a lot of people with qualifications are sitting at home,” Nteleko-Pani said.
Even though she has a job, her salary does not cover all her bills. Prices for food and other items are going up every day. This makes life very difficult for her family.
Nteleko-Pani does not have medical aid or a pension fund. She wanted to send her children to a private school, but she cannot afford it. She has also stopped taking her kids out for their birthdays.
She tries to buy food that will last for a full month because she has no extra money. Her family can no longer afford to eat out at restaurants to save money.
“Everything is expensive and the prices are going up. It does not look like we will ever pay less for things,” she said.
Nteleko-Pani believes things are getting worse and she must only buy the most important things. She works on a farm to make sure her family survives the hard times.
Pictured above: Nelisa Nteleko-Pani works as a site administrator on a farm in the Eastern Cape to support her family.
Image source: Nelisa Nteleko-Pani
