Living life one meal at a time

HAVING the scorching Zululand sun beating down your back while walking countless kilometres and ending your day’s work with aching lower back and joint pains, are all part of the job description for local dustbin diggers.

Scrounging through people’s trash with the hopes of finding something of value you can sell for a little bit of money to buy a meal is the hardship these entrepreneurs face.

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The ZO followed a humble dustbin digger on his daily route on Thursday morning to gain first-hand knowledge of what these guys go through daily to put food on the table for their families.

‘I have been doing this for six months now. I have five children and a wife that I need to provide for,’ explained Sifiso (not his real name).

‘My day starts at 4am. I take my trolley and make my way to the areas in Empangeni on dustbin day, with the hope of finding old clothing for my family or scrap metal that I can sell.’

Sifiso said that one needs to work fast and efficiently, as time is of the essence.

‘The municipal trucks come around early, so by 11am all the dustbins are empty, plus you are competing against other dustbin diggers who might have beaten you to a rubbish bin.’

There are times when pet owners’ dogs run out into the road when the owner brings their bin out of the yard, which poses a threat.

‘Luckily for me I have not been attacked by a dog yet, but when approaching a situation like that, you either stand still or walk on the other side of the road to show you are not a threat.

‘Once my trolley is full, I slowly make my way to a scrapyard to see what money I can earn for my day’s work.’

Sifiso makes on average R120 a week, working five days a week.

‘When you have food for the day, you store your goods at home until it is time to cash it in for your next meal.’

Sifiso said that if he can secure a job in gardening or painting he will happily grab the opportunity with both hands.

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‘Some of the guys that dig in dustbins have contracted work and do this as an extra source of income on their days off.’

This line of work takes its toll on the body and tests a person’s tolerance for bad smells.

‘Once I am done digging for the day, I do try to look for work, but have not managed to come right yet.’

The old adage ‘One man’s trash is another man’s gold’ really proves true in Sifiso’s case.

One lesson to be learnt from this story is to never take what you have for granted or look down on poor people.

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