“This will force me to close down. I can’t continue. I will have to move and open somewhere else where I don’t have to pay rent because right now to be honest, I can’t afford to pay the rent,” said a single mother who operates a hairdressing salon.
With the restrictions implemented by the presence of the novel coronavirus many persons are facing unemployment and untold hardship. I chose to speak to two women who are battling to stay afloat as the country attempts to beat the virus by minimizing the number of persons who are infected or unfortunately succumb to the deadly virus. Unfortunately, unemployment is just one of the negative consequences of the measures implemented.
“Since elections things start going down, you know. People like they afraid to come out and just when I say things picking up back, up come the coronavirus and that is it. I not making any money and I have children to support,” the hairdresser told me sadly.
“Sometimes when I think about it, is like I want go mad. But I got to hang in there for my children. It is not easy. I start looking at planting up in me back yard, you know. Trying to grow me own food and also finding something to do.“I ain’t pay me rent for two months now because is short money I getting from the girls who renting the stations and I can’t quarrel because I there and seeing what happening. It happening to me too. People not coming so we really didn’t have work to do.
“…What we supposed to do? I will have to move out, that is just the simple truth. Move out and maybe open somewhere where I don’t have to pay rent. But then some of my clients wouldn’t come but that is just life. I have to do what I have to do.
“I here studying how I paying school fees for my children. I mean school out, but they still expect money because they said they doing online learning. And that is another thing. This whole online learning is a stress for me. Is three children I have. How I getting computer for all of them?
“And now that the children home, is whole day they eating.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, as I understood where she was coming from.
Every parent you speak to around this time would reveal that they are spending way too much on groceries as their at-home children seem to be eating more than usual.
“Sometimes I get the little money and I have to buss me head to make it do; you know. Looking at what I have to buy and what I just can’t buy. Sometimes I feel sorry for them children because they too at home all the time. And you know I would quarrel with them for the eating but when I think back, I know it is just because they at home and they feel bored,” she added.
“Some days, I wouldn’t lie, I hardly get anything to cook. But thank God, so far it is not starvation. I have a few clients who would call for a little hairdo and I will do it so to make a little money because there is no money I still have to. I know it might be breaking the law, but I don’t have the salon open or anything, is customers who I know.”
I had to put her at ease by letting her know that she does not have to justify trying to make a few dollars to help support her children. There are so many persons who are going through the struggle and not just here but worldwide.
Like this mother, I met another woman whose sole means of income has also been taken away because of the new measures implemented. She has no children but finds it hard to support herself.
“It is the vending I use to depend on to make my lil money but now I had stop coming out and sell. To tell you the truth if this continue, I don’t know where I getting money from to pay me rent and buy food,” she told me.
“Before is only Sunday I use to be at home because from Monday to Saturday I out on the road selling and I use to make me lil money. Wasn’t plenty, but I use to try and make it. I used to be there, and you know how much people would come and just sit down, you know. I had a bench and they would just sit and chat and buy and so on….
“People around me know I does sell so I would make a lil sale here and there but is not the same thing and I really scared about what guh happen to me in a few weeks’ time. I just trying to make the lil money last, but I don’t know how long. The good thing is that I ain’t get children so I can cook once a day but just now I wouldn’t have anything to cook.
“I know the government have to do what it have to do because of this whole corona situation but I can’t lie to you and tell you me ain’t suffering. And I know it have thousands more like me and some people just can’t make it. I don’t want it sound like I blaming anybody, but the truth is people just not making it.
“Look I have a neighbour with small children and I seeing how she and them suffering. I does got to turn around and share wah lil bit I got with them. And remember, me ain’t really get nothing. How I could eat and see lil children starving?
“Some days I could see de stress on the mother face, you know, and then she would tek it out on dem children. I just say Lord why people must punish so. So, you see girl when I thinking about me, people worse off and I know I have to thank God but it still hard for me. But I say as long as I get food, I will give dem children when dem don’t have,” she promised.
“I have to do me part too, you know. Yes I studying wah go happen next week or de other week but right now I have a little to cook and if I cook then I can share a lil food with dem children, even it means eating less food,” she said.
I said to her that we need more persons like her in this time because we know there are so many people suffering and really each one should help one. But we have become so selfish that it is all about us and our loved ones. I am hoping that if nothing else, this time teaches us to share more and not just to those who we know but to anyone who needs help. I think it is about time we realized that there are times when all the money in the world cannot save us. So, we should be more caring and share with others, especially in this time of need. If this sister can do it with little, then we all can do our part.
