By Anita Dangazele
- The young woman from Elliotdale returned to her grandmother’s home in the village after losing her NSFAS allowance and income.
- She sells homegrown spinach around her village and on social media, raising her son on his R530 child support grant.
A young mother from Elliotdale finished her studies in East London but could not find work. She lost her National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowance when her studies ended, leaving her with no income.
While studying, she lived with her mother, who paid rent and bought food. Her NSFAS allowance and her son’s child support grant covered her own needs and her three-year-old boy’s.
“When I finished school and no longer had the allowance, I really struggled because I could not take care of myself and my baby,” she said.
Her mother suggested she return to the village. She moved in with her grandmother. “I told myself that I would stay here until I had renewed strength to keep looking for work,” she said. Her grandmother helps her, but it is not enough.
One day she went to town with her son’s grant money to buy things for him, and decided to buy spinach seedlings. She planted them and watered them every day.
“The spinach grew well and I decided to sell it around the village. I also advertise on social media. People arrange to meet me and I deliver to some customers in town,” she said.
The small profit from the spinach pays for her toiletries. Her son’s R530 child support grant covers his needs. He stopped formulating at nine months. When he turned one, she started potty training him because she could not afford nappies.
“Now that I do not buy milk and nappies, the R530 child support grant goes a long way,” she said.
The Eastern Cape official unemployment rate sits at 42.5%. When people who have stopped looking for work are included, the expanded rate rises to 51.5%.
Pictured above: The young woman holding out a bunch of spinach.
Image source: Supplied
