It's the start of day two and already questions are coming up from my family who are participating... but also questions from colleagues and friends. If it's in the house already, can't I use it? But what if I buy you a coffee? Am I allowed to have ice in my water?
At the end of the day, the challenge is to live off of R50 for five days, full stop. That means if it's in the house and wasn't part of the R50... it's a no go. We had to purchase all of the food we will be using at the outset. For me, it is a nicer assortment than last year because Miriam and I had R100 between the two of us. This meant much more assortment. We even bought a small package of over-processed Russians that was on promo for R16,99. For my boyfriend Monwa, who is doing this on his own in Cape Town, and friend Lusanda, who is struggling in PMB, the menu was not quite so luxurious. But that's the point. We struggle. We struggle like so many millions who live in South Africa at this very moment. I see it when I visit interview participants in their homes. I see it when Miriam and I visit her biological mother. I see it on Wednesdays when a local man and his son go "shopping" along our street because it's garbage day.
When Monwa mentioned last night that friends had offered to give him coffee, I recalled the same happening to me in my last two challenges. We talked about why accepting the coffee would not be in the spirit of the challenge. Friends protest that if you went to visit someone, even if you were poor, you would be offered coffee or tea. But Monwa shared his insightful response. "Would you buy your maid a coffee?" For my Canadian followers, it is common amongst the middle and upper classes to have a maid that lives in or comes daily to clean the house and perhaps help with the children. Although this creates jobs, the average maid receives R100/day (about $10). This may seem lucrative when considering the R10/day challenge, but let's not forget that she has children to feed and clothe, school fees (even public schools generally have a R750 per year charge plus the cost of uniforms, school supplies, and any other activities), transport to pay (many maids walk several km to work and back to avoid minibus fares of up to R20 each way), there may be rent to pay if she is not living with others, gas bills, water bills, and remember she's only paid to work five days of the week (if she's full-time and does not miss a day due to illness of herself or a child). So yes, most maids are living below the line. Many families do provide food for the maid during work hours, but not for evenings, weekends, and family members. And I dare say, no one brings home a latte because it worries them how few comforts she has.
I think there's an even more appropriate comparison. Would you bring your gardener a coffee? Many wealthy homes also have part or full-time male "gardeners" who look after the yard and the day-to-day house maintenance. Gardeners also receive about R100 per day. They are rarely offered lifts on the road by passersby because there are many fears around giving a ride to an unknown man. If he's lucky he may get to ride on the back of a pick-up truck. Because the men do not work in the house, often they will not be offered food during their shift. Many can be seen carrying a few slices of white bread that they've purchased from hawkers on the side of the road. If it's a hot day, maybe they'll splurge on a coke. I think that many men in South Africa living below the line have it very difficult, as they also have to bare the burden of stereotypes about dangerous black men. They have difficulty finding employment and enjoy even fewer moments of kindness from strangers compared to women.
If you want to buy me a coffee or lunch today, tomorrow, or at any time during my challenge, I will ask you instead to buy something nice for a stranger on the street or the man that tends to your lawn. I also hope that you will consider donating that coffee money to Izimbali Zesizwe to help continue a community-based NGO which feeds dozens of children and families every week.
...and yes. I allowed Miriam the ice in her water. Mine will be luke warm.
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