Sisters step in to feed hungry, jobless men
Call to public to open hearts
The plight of unemployed men who stand on the corners of Komani and Griffiths streets daily, who desperately need work to feed themselves and their families, has touched the hearts of three sisters.
Realising there is no centre in Komani where these men can be helped with gaining new skills or to find work, the women have taken it upon themselves to provide them with something to eat every day.
But the numbers of jobless men have grown alarmingly since the women started their mission.
The Rep counted 38 men on Friday.
Lindiwe Gatyeni said she and her late husband Donald Gatyeni started feeding desperate jobless men in Komani in 2021.
After her husband died in 2022, she continued alone.
“When I saw the men lying on Komani Street and Griffiths, I felt sad for them. I started giving them biscuits, and they ate them
very quickly, which showed me they were very hungry.
“That made me realise that hunger is a big problem for these men.
“This revelation led to my husband and I buying fruit and bread every day to give to the men,” Gatyeni said.
Her two sisters accompanied her one day and then also got
involved. And while the numbers of jobless men grew, Gatyeni saw that sadly, few motorists ever stopped to offer any of the men work.
Gatyeni’s sister, Yoliswa Majola, said due to the numbers of unemployed men growing, they were battling to provide them all with something to eat for the day.
“We go with Yoliswa and assist in feeding the men. She buys bread and polony, and we then help distribute the food.”
Majola said her sister used money from her husband’s pension to buy the food but there were so many hungry men they were struggling to feed them all.
They have written to local businesses for help and are calling on the public to also open their hearts.
“These men live in informal settlements and spend their days on the streets, on empty stomachs.
“A loaf of bread provides temporary relief in the longterm they have families to feed,” she said.
Gatyeni’s sister, Thandi Booi, said they encouraged the men to try gain new skills so they did not only have to depend on their R350 government grant to survive.
“These men don’t want to be on the street, but don’t know what to do. A centre would help them. They should be given jobs, like cleaning our streets, to earn a living,” Booi said.