Digging for the next meal – Delville recyclers tell their story
Delville couple speaks to the GCN about walking the streets to collect recyclables to earn money.
“I never thought I would put my hands in a dustbin to try and find items to recycle, but you need to do what you have to when you have children to feed.”
These are the words of Nomvuyo Nomandla, a resident of Mons Road in Delville.
Nomvuyo and her partner Modise Matube used to be out on the streets of the city every day collecting recyclables from residents’ bins.
“The thing about collecting recyclables is that it is immediate cash.
You don’t have to wait until the end of the month to get money and you can use that money to feed your family,” said Modise.
“We still had our dignity, we did not have to beg and we earned our money as you work hard for it.”
Nomvuyo and Modise were both born in and grew up in Mahikeng.
Having matriculated (Modise matriculated in Johannesburg), both studied further in Johannesburg.
Modise studied a business administration diploma at Intec College and Nomvuyo did a course in human resources, call centre management and customer service. After completing their studies they returned to Mahikeng and looked for employment.
While working in the city they met each other at a bar, seven years ago, and the rest, they say, is history.
The couple decided to move to Johannesburg and look for work.
However, their plans didn’t work out as they should have and they were left unemployed.
“In order to make ends meet we started collecting recyclables and became known to many people in the Lambton area,” Nomvuyo said.
“We started off going through household bins but soon realised that there is a lot of money to be made in the recycling industry, so we upped our game and started going to businesses in the area.
“People knew and trusted us and helped us by collecting items and keeping them for us,” Modise said.
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One such helper was Diane Herbst, the owner of Tic Toc Nursery School.
The couple thank Diane from the bottom of their hearts as she offered to school their little boy Nkwe (3) free of charge (their 17-year-old daughter Monthati attends school in Soweto).
“Diane played a huge role in helping us.
“She took the worry of having to carry our child with us away and helped him to start learning,” Modise said.
Parents from the school would also bring recyclables to the school for them and this helped them greatly in making ends meet.
A typical day for the pair started after they had dropped Nkwe at school.
They would then visit all the businesses and collect the recyclables, pulling their trolleys out in the elements before sorting them and then taking them to get weighed.
“This job has definitely taught us resilience and inner strength,” Nomvuyo said.
“I became willing to face all the elements – the rain and heat – as I knew I had to feed my family.”
Nomvuyo added that it is also quite dangerous out on the roads pulling your trolley.
“The working environment is fraught with safety hazards,” Modise said.
Nomvuyo said that hygiene is also an important factor as even though people are going through bins they need to make sure they take care of their personal hygiene.
“When someone can eat his or her whole mindset changes and they don’t want to filch from you – they would rather pick up your recyclables and earn money for themselves,” Modise said.
Modise and Nomvuyo have now started an NGO called Ecoearth Africa which will create environmental awareness in schools, businesses and the community.
They also want to start a small concern where recyclers can be trained how to collect efficiently, how to take care of their personal hygiene and where items can be sorted properly before being taken to get weighed.
“This will create employment in the community and we have approached a number of businesses to help us with funding the project,” Modise said.
They have their eyes set on a goal and are adamant that they will achieve it and make a difference in people’s lives.
“We have the knowledge and now need to share it,” Modise said.
“When the awareness is there, people will begin to practise good recycling habits and thus help the economy and the environment.”
They are also trying to get money for a bakkie which will aid in the collection of recyclables, as well as enable them to go and educate people in different areas.
Nomvuyo said that being a recycler is definitely not a job for the faint-hearted and said you need to be driven and focused on the end result.
She urged the community to put their recyclables into separate bags for the recyclers as this will leave less mess and is far more hygienic.
“People should never judge a book by its cover,” she said.
“You should take the time to read through the pages and get the details of a person’s story.”
To find out more about the NGO or to offer assistance with the project call Modise or Nomvuyo on 074 657 3570.
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