[kc_row _id=”88929″][kc_column width=”12/12″ video_mute=”no” _id=”545860″][kc_row_inner column_align=”middle” video_mute=”no” _id=”865300″][kc_column_inner width=”100%” _id=”415135″][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”370894″][kc_column_text _id=”627570″]

Welcome to our global #FarFromHome series: reflections on the time of Covid-19 from people who are are far from their family and home-country. We hope this brings comfort and reassurance. We chat to Amkelwa, who lives in Paarl and is from the Eastern Cape.

[/kc_column_text][/kc_column_inner][/kc_row_inner][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”793351″][kc_column_text _id=”230925″]

This is a difficult time for us all. But, what activity, or thought, or philosophy, has guided you through this time in the pandemic? During the pandemic, I involved myself in an English learning group. That helped me a lot to improve my English. I was also involved in a community soup kitchen. We were cooking porridge for small children every day in the morning, because we are a very poor community. 

What other emotions has this period brought for you?  

This pandemic has brought me nothing but pain, because I can’t watch people going to bed with an empty stomach. I had to take food from my home and share it with those who have nothing, even if it’s 2 people I will know that at least I have tried. But in this whole situation I felt helpless because I couldn’t help other people because I needed help myself.  

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? 

I was able to deal with this situation because of the situation that I grew up with. When I grew up my father was an alcoholic. He used to drink the whole weekend, from Friday to Sunday. When he was drunk he would beat my mother up, and we went to go ask for a place to sleep with our neighbours. Growing up like that has made me strong and I can deal with tough situations. I was the reason why my father has changed and become a better person.  

[/kc_column_text][kc_single_image image_size=”full” _id=”31152″ image_source=”media_library” image=”91105″][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”756367″][kc_column_text _id=”160493″]

Thinking about the Covid-19 pandemic, what good qualities has it brought out in you? I would say I am good at solving problems. The pandemic has brought out the real person that I am – some of the things I have done for other people, I never thought that I would do them for anyone. The thing that made me get through this pandemic is being tough, because if I wasn’t tough and brave, I wouldn’t have made it.  

Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? If so, how?  

Yes, I have learnt a lesson that I must always look after my neighbours, because you know when people need your help.  

What would be your advice to those people facing difficult situations at this time?  

My advice to other people, if you have problems just pray about your problems and be patient, have faith. God is alive you just need to communicate with him and put your trust in him. 

[/kc_column_text][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”978157″][kc_button text_title=”Read more #FarFromHome stories” _id=”684254″ link=”http://www.scalabrini.org.za/news/farfromhome||” custom_css=”{`kc-css`:{`any`:{`button-style`:{`color|.kc_button`:`#ffffff`,`background-color|.kc_button`:`#1e73be`}}}}”][/kc_column][/kc_row]

[kc_row use_container=”yes” _id=”962593″][kc_column width=”12/12″ video_mute=”no” _id=”194626″][kc_column_text _id=”806314″]

At the center of Cape Town sits Green Market Square – a bustling market filled with curios from all over the African continent. It is a magnet for Cape Town’s tourists, who typically number over 5 million per year. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, South Africa went into lockdown: borders were closed, tourists stopped coming, and many market vendors were left with no source of income at all. 

Some of these market vendors are members of Scalabrini’s Women’s Platform. With the need to adapt and provide for their families, they came together and quickly tapped into the demand for masks.

[/kc_column_text][kc_title text=”TGl2aW5nIGluIFVuY2VydGFpbiBUaW1lcyA=” _id=”300055″ type=”h3″][kc_column_text _id=”994981″]

According to findings from National Income Dynamics Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey, women are disproportionality affected by the economic crisis  caused by the pandemic. This was seen not only in South Africa, but around the world.  

The five women – Eulali, Jeanette, Kelly, Tina and Therese – who have been part of Women’s Platform for the last few years, realised that they needed to make a plan to support themselves and their families in the time of lockdown.  

“We thought it would maybe be one month. Before the lockdown I sold some things that I thought would carry me through,” says Theresa when reflecting on the start of lockdown. 

“Before lockdown started, I had my own business, which was a sewing school.  I trained Somali ladies how to sew at the Somali Association in Belville.” Jeanette was training eight women at her school before the lockdown started and the other four women were traders at markets around Cape Town.  

With lockdown upon them, this group of women faced an unsure future. They had trained to sew certain things that, under lockdown, were not going to be sold. In a moment of brilliance, they came together and made a plan: to start a mask-sewing business. 

[/kc_column_text][kc_title text=”IE1ha2luZyBEZWNpc2lvbnMgYW5kIFRha2luZyBBY3Rpb24g” _id=”415032″ type=”h3″][kc_column_text _id=”315049″]

“I learnt to make the masks because of what is going on in the world.” Eulali echoes what was said by each of the other women. Together, the group of five women approached Women’s Platform for assistance with marketing and selling the masks.   

Jitske from Women’s Platform helped the women with marketing, to find more buyers and with the delivery and collection of the masks. Through the use of social media, over 500 masks were sold and over 200 were donated through cooperation with the Tamboerskloof Community Action Network, where they were then donated to people in Zwelitsha and the Tamboerskloof area. Kelly speaks of making masks to help other people protect themselves. “The lockdown shows me that I have a responsibility toward other people.” Tina shared this sentiment; “I made some masks for donation that I took to the hospital. I also give some to people on the road who don’t have masks. I went to the church yesterday and gave some masks to people who I can see don’t have good masks or don’t have any masks.”  

[/kc_column_text][kc_title text=”QWRhcHRpbmcgQnVzaW5lc3NlcyAg” _id=”622614″ type=”h3″][kc_column_text _id=”81560″]

Although the sales of masks have slowed down now, they were the boost the women needed to adapt and come up with new ideas. Jeanette is looking at moving her sewing classes online, Kelly is aiming to launch her new clothing designs for children in November, and the other women have their own business ideas brewing.  

In a group discussion hosted by Women’s Platform, more stories were shared by women who have adapted their businesses under lockdown. Stories were shared by a woman who was active in the transport business and shifted from transporting kids to delivering food when schools were closed. Another businesswoman went from selling burgers to restaurants, to making and selling bread.  

One lesson that has been learnt during the lockdown is that “every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.” – Richard Branson 

**Since this article was written the women have had another order come in for 200 sling bags and 400 masks.  

[/kc_column_text][/kc_column][/kc_row]

[kc_row _id=”258321″][kc_column width=”12/12″ video_mute=”no” _id=”148419″][kc_row_inner column_align=”middle” video_mute=”no” _id=”592277″][kc_column_inner width=”100%” _id=”803820″][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”373758″][kc_column_text _id=”713546″]

Welcome to our global #FarFromHome series: reflections on the time of Covid-19 from people who are are far from their family and home-country. We hope this brings comfort and reassurance. We chat to Onacisse, who lives in South Africa and is from DRC.

[/kc_column_text][/kc_column_inner][/kc_row_inner][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”735647″][kc_column_text _id=”634405″]

What has guided you through this time? I started reading books and watched a lot of documentaries. This helped me clear my mind and not to think of the pandemic. 

Has anything brought you hope or inspiration in this time? I was inspired by doctors and nurses who sacrificed their own lives to save those with Covid-19. 

What other emotions has this time brought out for you? I felt helpless because there was nothing much that I could do to help those who needed help, because I needed help too. This brought fear to me, because the number of positive cases kept on increasing. I kept on thinking what if this continues? Will I ever see my family or not? 

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? When I was coming to South Africa, I had gone through the toughest roads so that I could make it here. From the day I arrived in South Africa nothing was easy for me or my family. We have been through a lot of ups and downs, but we always overcome it.  

What characteristics of yourself have you relied on to get through this tough time? I am disciplined. Without discipline I do not know where I would be or how I was going to cope with the stresses of not earning an income for almost six months. With no help from the government I had to discipline myself even more. I can now go and work, things are not that bad as they were 5 months ago. Life is slowly going back to normal. 

[/kc_column_text][kc_single_image image_size=”full” _id=”830732″ image_source=”media_library” image=”66659″][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”701137″][kc_column_text _id=”590981″]

Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? Yes, it has changed a lot. It is weird how I have to wear a mask every time I speak to my neighbour. I no longer shake hands or hug my friends. I cannot go to gym or go for a walk at the mall freely, because I struggle breathing when wearing a mask for more than 30 min. Life has changed in general, before Covid-19 when someone sneezed people use to say “bless you”, now days they look at you as if you committed a crime, which is funny and sad at the same. 

What would be your advice to those people facing difficult situations at this time? The only advice I would give to people going through a rough time is try as much to stay positive, because mental health is very important in times like this. The whole world is going through a big crisis and things keep on getting worse each and every single day. Try as much to stay positive Covid-19 is like a storm that came to destroy a lot of plans and things, but it’s going to pass.  

Is there any other message you would like to send to other people who are living far from their original birthplace during this time? To those living far away from their home country like myself, I communicate with relatives and friends on daily basis I encourage you to do the same. It helps a lot! Thanks to advanced technology which enables us to communicate easily. Check up on family and friends, and appreciate them each every day, it reduces stress especially during this tough time. I hope and believe that one day we will rejoice with our loved ones, because Coronavirus is not going to stay forever. And after this pandemic life is going to change for the better. 

[/kc_column_text][kc_spacing height=”20″ _id=”639283″][kc_button text_title=”Read more #FarFromHome stories” _id=”591539″ link=”http://www.scalabrini.org.za/news/farfromhome||” custom_css=”{`kc-css`:{`any`:{`button-style`:{`color|.kc_button`:`#ffffff`,`background-color|.kc_button`:`#1e73be`}}}}”][/kc_column][/kc_row]

[kc_row use_container=”yes” _id=”895244″][kc_column width=”12/12″ video_mute=”no” _id=”127940″][kc_column_text _id=”162964″]

A warm, friendly voice on the other end of the phone, with echoes of children playing and talking in the background – Divine instantly makes you feel like you are talking to an old friend. Leaving her home country of DRC and her eventual arrival in South Africa were both journeys mired in fear. But Divine is a resilient, determined woman; she has taught herself English, raised a family, found jobs in all sorts of sectors and has used this experience and various online sessions from Employment Access to find a job during Covid-19. She wants to share her success and resilience with other women and eventually start her own business.  

[/kc_column_text][kc_title text=”RW5kaW5ncyBhbmQgQmVnaW5uaW5ncyAg” _id=”611300″ type=”h3″][kc_column_text _id=”879882″]

Often, a barrier to integration is language. In Divine’s case, her lack of English actually helped her land her first job! “I could only say ‘good morning’. But Cross Trainer hired me because I spoke French – and that’s where I started learning English!” Divine started working at the Cross Trainer in Cape Town’s International Airport during the 2010 World Cup. It was here that her dreams of starting her own business began. 

Divine was an accountant at a big supermarket back home in Lubumbashi. Her father was a CEO, but because of ethnic fighting her father lost his job. Following this, Divine and her eldest sister fled to South Africa after being attacked in their home. The journey was long and potholed: what agents promised to be a few days took more than a week – with Divine and her sister being arrested at one point – while their family had no idea where they were. 

Although things seemed difficult on initial arrival in South Africa (Divine and her sister were victims of an armed home invasion) – Divine has managed to build a beautiful life. Having built up stability in South Africa, Divine is now focused on achieving her goals and assisting other women. 

[/kc_column_text][kc_title text=”QW4gYXJyYXkgb2YgZXhwZXJpZW5jZSA=” _id=”31329″ type=”h3″][kc_column_text _id=”289293″]

After leaving Cross Trainer, Divine worked in various different companies and positions. From an assistant manager at King Pie to a sales assistant at Exotic Persians, Divine has gained experience in an array of careers – which has helped her to find her current employment. “I like the hospitality world and I am definitely a people’s person,” she remarks, reflecting on her ultimate role as a guesthouse manager. 

After Divine took maternity leave from the guesthouse, she approached Scalabrini. She accessed the Advocacy Programme, then the Women’s Platform and then Employment Access – who helped Divine find employment during lockdown. When South Africa went into lockdown, Employment Access started various online sessions for clients aimed at getting them ready for successful job applications once the lockdown eased. Divine joined many of these sessions including ‘Interview Questions Discussion’ and FUNZI courses (a platform that offers free Job Readiness courses). With the preparation and support offered to Divine from Employment Access – she went into her interview with confidence and got the job as Front of House Manager at a guesthouse – with the employer being particularly impressed that Divine had completed a Covid-19 course.  

Divine is now working this job with her business dream in mind. “I would like to start a sewing business. I’m good with outfits and evening wear, so I would like to start something where I can make lots of different things, and then help others who are also looking for jobs. I won’t let a woman like me just sit at home. I can help them and we can work together.” 

[/kc_column_text][kc_title text=”Tm90IGxldHRpbmcgbG9ja2Rvd24gc2xvdyBoZXIgZG93biA=” _id=”587324″ type=”h3″][kc_column_text _id=”480489″]

Like many in South Africa and across the world, lockdown has been difficult time for Divine. It had the potential to derail her plans. “Lockdown was very stressful. We have three kids and my husband is still not back at work. They were sending invoices for school fees, the kids need to eat, and I need to buy nappies for the little one.”  

With the help of Employment Access and her dedication to the sessions offered by them, Divine is working again and can set her mind at ease. “I’m enjoying it and I’m learning more every day. I like learning. Before starting my own thing, it’s good to see how to run a business – from what I’m doing today, I will be able to run my own thing.” 

[/kc_column_text][/kc_column][/kc_row]