‘I am perfectly healthy and fully functional’ – Autistic trolley pusher wins the hearts of residents in Tembisa
MIDRAND – The centre has reduced its R500 000 debt through recycling with Mpact.
When Mlungisi Mavimbela walks in the streets of Esangweni in Tembisa with his trolly, residents young and old greet him by name.
The 34-year-old who suffers from autism has claimed his place in the hearts of residents. He is one of about 80 beneficiaries of the Tembisa Self Help Centre which caters for people with disabilities in the area. Mavimbela walks about 5km from his home in Welamlambo to the centre where he gets three meals a day and engages in other activities.
Although he suffers from autism, Mavimbela does recycling in the vicinity of the centre to chase the wolf from the door. “I am perfectly healthy and fully functional,” he said.
“I do not need to take medication. Living with a disability makes it so hard to find a job and jobs that do actually accept someone like me don’t really offer me the freedom I want. This is how I ended up collecting recyclables in my community.
“Being a ‘trollypreneur’ ensures that my grandmother and I do not sleep on an empty stomach. It’s a hard job, but one I really enjoy.”
Mavimbela wakes up every morning at 5am and walks to the centre every day of the week which he has been doing for the past three years. He and others who do recycling at the centre receive a stipend of up to R800 per month. “I have never missed a single day of work, even during the coldest winter months. Recycling is not as hard as some people think. It is as easy as separating your recyclables from the rest of your trash. It just takes a little effort to make a big difference. This also means my grandmother and I can buy our monthly groceries and a few little luxuries.”
Tembisa Self Help Centre manager Calvin Stemela said Mavimbela was well received by the community. “The community loves him,” he said.
“Many residents know him and leave recyclables for him.”
He added that the centre had survived financial challenges over the years. Stemela said when he took over in 2014, the centre had accumulated a debt of R500 000 for rates and taxes. “We have managed to pay most of the debt with money that we make from recycling. We are now standing at R87 000 debt. The money we make from recycling also helps us with the day to day running of the centre and paying stipends for the trolleypreneurs.”
Despite the warm acceptance from the community, Mavimbela said some community members did not view them as trollypreneurs. “I must let you know that not everyone sees us in the same way as we see ourselves. Some people worry that we are there to take things.
“Some people look at us and can’t seem to look past their idea that we are thieves, hobos, look-out crooks or just dirty and inconsiderate people who scratch and dent their cars with our trolleys. This is not true.”
Mavimbela wanted people to know that they were trying to make a living to support their families. “If our trolleys get in your way or make you feel uncomfortable, I apologise on behalf of my fellow collectors, as this is never our intention. We all need to be aware of each other and be kinder to one another.”
He encouraged people to separate recyclable material from other rubbish to make it easy for them to collect and recycle.
Also check out:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/197832/tuesday-life-hack-4-practical-ways-recycle-waste/
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/191445/household-materials-can-re-purpose-recycle/
