I really can’t wait to raise enough money to open my catering business Nyiko’s mom thought as she sat cramped in a full taxi going back home from a long night at the hospital, she worked in the hospital on weekdays and sold cooked meals in the rank on weekends in order to augument her salary. It wasn’t easy being a single mom to three kids, two of which are teenager’s her husband passed away five years ago leaving her with a 2 years old toddler and two other kids.

She got off at her stop and made her way home, she changed her uniform and made herself a cup of tea and a sandwich before retiring to bed to rest. She thought of their lives before that one tragic afternoon when she received a call informing her that her husband was no more, he worked at a construction company as a senior foreman. They were going to the building site when their truck got into an accident, which sadly claimed his life resulting in which today she had to work hard to be able to support her children. They got compensated for his death but she invested the money towards the tertiary education of her children.

The siren wailed signaling that it was lunchtime Nyiko got her empty lunchbox and made her way to the kitchen hall to get food, their school was one of the lucky one. They had feeding scheme for those who didn’t afford to carry their own lunch to school, they served variety of healthy hearty meals everyday with bits of fruits maybe twice a week. Today they were eating rice with minced meat and pumpkin meaning Nyiko will save her lunch money for snacks since she didn’t like carrying lunch from home, she would rather buy kota if they was eating what she didn’t like.

She got her share and went to their spot under a huge morula tree where she got her friend Kefiloe already sitting waiting for her, “Hey girlfriend so what are we having for lunch today” she said picking up the Tupperware bowl on the ground. Kefiloe’s mom was also well known for her great culinary experience and they got to devour tasty leftover meals from last night’s supper. “ Arh ke ledombolo le lamb stew and nna ake dirate so ketloja tsa hao tsamo sgila wena oja tseo” Kefiloe said taking Nyiko’s lunchbox.

Tell us: Have your parents worked multiple jobs in order to have multiple incomes so that they could feed and clothe you? How did it affect them physically?