Fight against world hunger
JOBURG - IN LIGHT of World Hunger Day on 28 May, this newspaper hit the streets to speak to people who make a living through begging to find out how they search for their next meal and how much money they spend on food each day.
Two of the people that were interviewed were Cindy Sithole and Abram Kgoeli, who try to get a little spare change to supplement food and warmth for the evening.
Cindy Sithole is a single mother from Diepsloot who spends her mid-morning and afternoon on the busy intersection of Main Road and William Nicol Drive begging for money. She has been using the intersection every day since 1999 and usually gets R40 to R50 a day to purchase paraffin and a kilogram of miele meal. Sithole added that she spends at least R13 in taxi fare to leave and return to Diepsloot.
A regular at the Sandton Drive intersection, Abram Kgoeli has begged at this spot for almost four years. Originally from the Free State, he lost his job and came to find work in Johannesburg but was forced to beg on the street. He soon developed a passion for art, which he says became a good way of supplementing his begging income.
He added that he earns R70 a day, which he uses to buy cheap supplies and food. Kgoeli lives on the green belt near George Lea Park in Parkmore.
According to The Hunger Project UK millions of people worldwide eat for no more than £1 a day.
To commemorate World Hunger Day on 28 May the team at Caxton Joburg North will be embarking on a Hunger Challenge, in which we will try to eat for only R18 for the entire day of 28 May.
Follow our #HungerChallenge on Twitter or join us and tweet us your #HungerChallenge experiences and photos.
