Recycler Francis Nyakani from Booysens depends on rubbish for survival
Waking up at 4am means he will be recycling around South Hills, Turffontein, Rosettenville, and Booysens and the other days he will spend in Ormonde, Ridgeway, and Naturena.
WHAT people consider as waste and rubbish, a 28-year-old sees as a heap filled with opportunity to feed his family.
Hard-working recycler Francis Nyakani from Booysens prides himself in providing for his family with earnings stemming from waste.
He recycles bottles, plastics, boxes, tins, iron, and glass.
Francis hails from the Free State and came to Johannesburg for brighter opportunities, but due to lack of academic skills he failed to fulfil his wishes in the city of gold.
All he wanted was to become a prominent business owner of a scrapyard.
He said he doesn’t like recycling, but his child and wife need to eat; therefore, working with rubbish is the only choice.
Swallow his pride
He was introduced into the industry of recycling by friends because they felt sorry for him as he wasn’t able to provide for his family. Francis said he had to swallow his pride and allow his friends to show him the ropes in the recycling industry.
“At first it wasn’t easy, but I gradually jelled in and now I’m one of the best recyclers in the South.
“This started in 2015 and now it’s like I started 10 years ago. I’m a natural and now people come to me for advice with regards to recycling,” said Francis.
Long hours
Francis claims he wakes up at 4am Monday to Wednesday, while other days its at 3am.
Waking up at 4am means he will be recycling around South Hills, Turffontein, Rosettenville, and Booysens and the other days he will spend in Ormonde, Ridgeway, and Naturena.
He returns home around 5pm. With his earnings of the day he buys house necessities and spoils his wife with goodies sometimes.
He told the COURIER he doesn’t work on weekends because he needs to spend time with his family.
Do recyclers bath?
He laughed at the COURIER when asked this question.
“People think we don’t bath because we look dirty and it’s not true – we do bath. The thing is we wear the same clothes day in and day out when we recycle because we don’t change clothes,” he explained.
He said some people don’t mind when they go through their bins, but some are rude.
“If you’re a recycler you need to have a heart of steel because some people will swear at you for searching their bins while some will share a friendly conversation,” said Francis.
His dream of becoming a business owner is not dead, he says he is still working towards it.
Quick facts about Francis
• He loves cars.
• He lives in a one-roomed shack with his family.
• He hates fist fights.
• Enjoys other people’s company.
What councillors think about recyclers in their ward
Michael Crichton: “It is a means for them to make a living and separating waste at the source in the future.
“However, I feel they do need to be more regulated. They should only be allowed to sort their refuse in a properly demarcated area.
“I also get concerned when they transport their goods as I don’t know how much control they have over their trolleys, especially on downhill roads.”
Faeeza Chame: “Recycling initiatives create jobs. More jobs, less pollution.
“Economic depression made recycling a necessity for many people to survive as they can’t afford to uphold their households with a high unemployment rate.
“Reasons, why we should recycle, is to reduce carbon emissions, it lessens the burden of landfills, it increases energy efficiency and most of all it alleviates poverty.”
