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Windfall…Rotakala Manyaga (12) repairing a damaged gravel road at Makonde in exchange for cash from the drivers.

Makonde children creates own “holiday jobs”

 

The recent rain has brought a windfall to school kids who are on holiday. Although it is bad news to motorists in rural areas, because the rain has damaged local roads, the rain has been received with open arms by school kids who now make a quick buck by manually repairing the damaged roads.

Although some community members can regard it as child’s play, the kids see this as once in a lifetime opportunity which at least helps them to take something home at the end of the day.

Mirror spotted some of the kids working on a damaged gravel road at Makonde village, near Jim Masindi Primary School. The kids were using their own spades, shovels and picks to repair the road in exchange for a fee from the passing motorists.

One of the kids, Rotakala Manyaga (12) told Mirror that he enjoys working on the road because he no longer bothers his parents with pocket money to buy what he needs. He added that motorists give them from as little as five cents to as much as R2. "This is a lot of money compared to those who just sit at home doing nothing. I am happy because I can buy my own sweets, soft drinks and toys. I don’t have to ask money from my parents because I always have something in my pocket."

Rotakala said that he is impressed by the support he receives from the motorists. "They give us money and always encourage us to work hard because it prolongs the life of their vehicles. Besides cash, some of them also offer us sweets and special food that they bring from town. I can take home approximately R10 per day, which is enough to keep me going for a few days."

He says some drivers treat them badly, citing an example of a driver who teased them when they asked for money. "Drivers love us very much, except a few with bad attitudes. We hope it can rain forever so that we can keep on making money on these roads."

News - Date: 21 December 2007

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Wilson Dzebu

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