Chantal Manickum. Picture: Nikita Chiniah
Durban: Chantel Manickum, a woman who lives under a bridge in Chatsworth and who begs daily in the area, said on some days she went to bed hungry.
On a good days, she earned between R150 and R300.
Manickum, 42, said : "I have been living under the Westcliff Bridge in Chatsworth for a year. I beg at the robot. This is not the life I want.
"There are two men who also live under the bridge. It is scary because anything can happen. I have to always live on edge, not knowing what I could face. I could be robbed, attacked sexually and physically. "
She said it was difficult to have a bath and sometimes hard to even get a meal for the day.
"On cold and rainy days, the conditions are bad. I am trying to secure a job. The difficulty that I face is that my ID was lost while living on the street," Manickum said.
The mother of four said she was living with her mother who sold their home shortly before she died in 2018.
"My dad moved to Cape Town. I lived with my sister in Bayview for two years after my mom sold our home. I led a normal life, working in a call centre and at retail outlets. My sister takes care of two of my children.The other two are being taken care of by their fathers.
"After the contracts on my jobs finished last year, I became helpless. I did not want to be a burden to my family. I decided to live on the streets. I later picked up a drug habit which I am not proud of."
Manickum said when she was younger she dreamed of becoming a caregiver because she loved taking care of children.
"Drugs made it easier to live outside in this condition. I need help in securing a job, a place to live and would like to start a new life.
"Since I have picked up a drug problem, I also need assistance to clean up and to isolate myself for three weeks to become a normal person again," she said.
The Post