ERMELO – Assaulted and robbed on a regular basis, living on the streets is no easy feat.
For the past five years, Ben and Lyn Burger have been forced to endure nature’s elements and occasional human cruelty.
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“I can’t even remember how many times we have been robbed and assaulted,” Mr Burger sighed.
Living from day to day, the couple’s story is a series of unfortunate events.
“I was in the Ermelo police force for 16 years, before I left to go work for a friend. I worked for him for 23 years, and when he got divorced, he committed suicide and I was left unemployed,” Mr Burger explained.
He claimed he started searching for work, but to no avail.
“I handed out 52 C.V.’s across the country.”
The couple were forced to take to the streets, their hopes of finding work and a home never diminishing.
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“It is very hard on the streets. What gets me the most, is not being able to bath and to do washing on a regular basis. When we go to a fueling station to use the bathroom, the staff watch us because they know what we want to do. So, we land up just washing our hands and leaving,” Mrs Burger said.
The couple arrived in Newcastle on Monday, September 5, after attempting to find a job in Vryheid.
“We have children in Ermelo and want to get to them,” Mr Burger explained.
In the hopes of raising funds, the couple are selling air freshener sachets, which they make themselves.
“A woman was kind enough to donate some material and ribbon to us. So, we make potpourri and put it in the sachets to sell,” Mrs Burger explained.
The couple initially used the money from the sachets just to raise money to get to Ermelo.
“We tried to stop eating for a few days, but we became extremely weak. Now we use some of the money to get food. We need to eat,” Mrs Burger said.
Sitting near the police station, looking at pedestrians and passing motorists, the couple are desperately seeking assistance.
“Living on the streets is not for sissies,” Mr Burger concluded.
If you wish to assist this elderly couple, please contact journalist, Quinton Boucher, on 082 240 1210.
