Resilience in the face of homelessness: The stories of Thuli and Emihle
Durban a beautiful city known for its stunning beaches hides a dark city. Just a few kilometres away from the shore, hundreds of women have to scour the streets to find food and shelter.
For these women, safety is a luxury as they are subjected to direct and indirect violence nearly every day. Thulisile Dlamini, 50, and Emihle Majola, 25, are some of the women who experience this struggle.
Raspy-voiced Dlamini became homeless at the tender age of 18. Originally from Clermont, she said she left home because of abuse and neglect.
“There were constant fights. My parents had separated and my mother was an alcoholic,” she said.
“Every time something went wrong at home, they would blame me, so I decided to leave.”
With over three decades on the streets, Dlamini has seen it all and survived numerous assaults by men who saw her as an easy target because she is a woman.
“Living on the streets is extremely difficult. Men think they can sleep with you in exchange for shelter. I was once stabbed by a man in the chest,” she said teary-eyed. “He forced me to go with him because I had drank his alcohol. He assaulted me and knocked my teeth out with a bottle.”
To cope with the trauma Dlamini became addicted to cocaine which said helped her forget about her predicament.
At her age, Emihle Majola knows all too well the hard knock life of the streets.
Majola arrived in the city from a rural area after she had a fight with the father of child and came in search for greener pastures. She ran her own business for a while, however, she subsequently lost it and after seeking help, unfortunately, her last resort was to sleep rough.
She eventually contracted Tuberculosis (TB) but was able to get medication for it.
“Life here is not easy at all…There is a man who sees me as his own personal toy, he comes here and forces me to go with him to his house where he does whatever he wants to do with me,” Majola said.
She survives by begging at traffic lights where, she said can be dehumanising as people sometimes hurl insults and objects at her.
Majola has stayed clear of drugs as she has seen what they do to others around her and prefers to drink instead.
IOL News