A students facebook post has gathered inspirational support for a worker at UCT who lost his income and his home during the ongoing #FeesMustFall protests.
The recent #FeesMustFall protests have gripped the country in a space of negativity and uncertainty. The violence has also spilled over into the streets, blocking off roads to hospitals, leaving property vandalized, people destitute and even injured.
But there’s always a ray of hope in times of distress and South Africans really know how to support each other in times of need.
This is one of those times.
Phil, a civil engineering student at UCT, has gathered inspirational support for Eddie – a worker at UCT who lost his income and was evicted from his home during the ongoing Fees Must Fall protests at UCT.
The Facebook plea for help has been absolutely and overwhelmingly successful – so far, it has raised more than 5 times the original request, with donations from all over the world.
And more are still coming in!
Phil is so incredibly thankful and said that it is an utterly inspiring, humbling and a wonderful response from young South Africans!
Check out the full post below:
Hi all the people out there that see this! PLEASE HELP THIS HUMAN.
So the story is, this is Eddie. If any of you are familiar with the Pandaland food shop at UCT you might recognise him. Eddie moved down from Tanzania to pursue his dream of making hip hop and spreading the truth about Africa on an international radio platform.
He spent two years on the streets before being offered a helping hand by the owner of Pandaland. He did a radio presenting course through UCT and was selected as one of UCT radio’s DJ’s.
Two weeks ago, Ana and I went to buy food at Pandaland and said whatsup to Eddie and asked him how he was managing with all the protests and how an empty campus affects his income (not to mention the days when they have been forced to close).
He told us that he hadn’t made enough money that week to make his payment for the accommodation he was staying in and was subsequently told to leave. He had been in the Woodstock shelter that week and told us he was scared for his stuff because the shelter isn’t very safe.
We told him that we had a spare room in our apartment and that he must call me if he wants to use it.
He phoned me the next day and politely asked if the offer still stands. We picked him up that afternoon and took him in. This was two weeks ago. We had hoped UCT would be up and running by now but alas he is still not earning with the shop closed.
He has genuinely been the most respectful, happy and pleasant house guest we could have asked for. Very polite, always happy to share his stories and experiences (which are insane) and always making an effort to make an income.
He wakes up at 5:30am to get to the train stations to try and sell some chips and cigarettes in the morning rush. He has worked overnight in town to try and sell his goods. He is continuously trying.
Never once have I seen him sitting around feeling sorry for himself.
The unfortunate part of all of this, is that we have new guests coming to stay with us this week and we have had to ask Eddie to leave on tuesday morning 🙁
He is trying his best not to go back to the shelter and quite frankly I really don’t want him to end up back there either! If you’ve ever worked at a shelter, you know that it’s not a good space to be.
Anyway, so here is the plea, I am asking for any donations for Eddie from anyone that can spare any amount of money!
He needs R1600 to stay for one month in a backpackers room shared with 8 people. This allows him to keep his stuff safe and gives him anytime access to a shower (he really like showering).
If you could pledge R20+ I would need less than 100 people to create another month of safety for Eddie until he can find his feet again. R50 each and we would only need 32 people to raise it.
Pledge in the comments or in my inbox and I will personally do a round trip of cape town to collect the money on Sunday or Monday (16th or 17th October).
And hell, I think everyone who donates should get together one weekend and meet Eddie.
We could all have a drink together and just chat. I guarantee that spending 5 minutes with Eddie will immediately make you feel more positive.
The response was phenomenal… Phil managed to raise 5 times what was needed in a matter of days, which meant that Eddie now has a place to stay and hope for the future.
Further donations are welcome and will be used to help other people in similar situations with Phil and Eddie’s guidance. They are both thinking of sustainable ways to pass on this generosity to other people in similar situations.
What a way to turn a desperate problem into an amazing initiative!
Lastly, the main call is for promotion of Eddie’s skills, especially as a radio DJ – really he is looking for a more secure, permanent job! He is a talented radio DJ with training at UCT Radio and two years of experience.
His story is one of passion, dedication and commitment, and there must be opportunities for someone like him out there. Please get in touch by clicking here if you have any leads or opportunities.
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