These staggering figures of unemployment have resulted in the growing number of homeless street kids who frequent the main streets of the “city of saints”.
Residents of the town, are no strangers to the awkward encounter of having to either decline or provide money or food resources to the number of , “Sorry sister/sir do you have any spare change” requests.
the space
IN the lush soil and valleys of the Eastern Cape lies a quaint charismatic student town called Grahamstown.
With a population of up to 120 000 residents this former Cape Colony hosts some of the most contrasting socio-economic figures for its people. Rhodes University stands as the strongest economic force in Grahamstown which serves up to 9000 staff and students who are able to assume a more financially stable position in the town. The local community has long suffered problems related to the high unemployment rate, poor service delivery and problematic school systems since the dawn of democracy.
the boy
It is in this exact encounter that I came across one of the most striking faces of these youths that frequent New/ High street. With no idea of his name or his story, I could not quite ignore a young fragile boy with eyes that stored the burdens of a grown man.
With no real reason I observed the actions of this young man and noted his desire to earn the trust of those he requested money from by either washing cars or doing the odd job.“Siya or Themba’ were the names I had heard from mutual friends, who had encountered the young boy years before I had arrived in Grahamstown.
It boggled me that people who claimed to know this boy and earn his trust were stumped on the one possession this boy does have, his identity.Sinethemba was the name, meaning “we have hope”. Sinethemba Katyu, a young 18 year old who has witnessed hordes of students come in and out of Grahamstown yet his own life has seen no such change.