By Buziwe Nocuze
Sophakama Primary School in Dunoon, Cape Town, has hired 10 disabled people as their cleaners.
The group is so grateful after waiting for job opportunities from the government for so many years. They said they feel lucky because most disabled people have been struggling to get jobs.
The school handed each one of them a six-month contract.
Nomandithini Ramothoto, 53, was knocked down by a car in 1976.
“Living with a disability is challenging because when people talk about job opportunities, they forget about us, but when they want our votes, they know where to find us,” she told Scrolla.Africa.
“I hope this cleaning project will open more doors for us because the contract will end, but we are grateful for the opportunity, and we can take care of our families.”
Baithuti Shasha, 33, a wheelchair-bound man, has been struggling to buy Christmas clothes for his two kids.
“I lost one leg in 2017 after being pricked by a nail. It got worse, and I got bad sores, then the doctor had to cut my leg,” he said.
In 2019 his other leg had a blood clot, and the doctors had to cut it, which is why he ended up in a wheelchair.
“I couldn’t take care of my kids – but that is not so any more! The cleaning job changed my life because now I will go and buy clothes for them, something I wished to do for a long time.”
Elsie Beto, 63, their supervisor, is happy that they were given a chance to show people that even though they are disabled, they can still work.
“They are punctual and very active. And you will never hear them coming up with stories so that they cannot report for work,” she said.
Pictured above: The group hired by the school
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
