It’s about 06h00 when Miriam Talonghenda (47) leaves her shack.
The corrugated iron structure she calls home at Palasa is a 10-minute walk outside Eenhana.
Carrying two bags, she scans her surroundings, looking for empty cans – her main source of income.
The harsh reality of unemployment has led her to this routine.
Talonghenda looks much older than 47.
Life has taken its toll on her.
With no education to secure stable employment, she has struggled throughout her adult life – especially as a mother of five.
On her way to the Etoto dump site on the outskirts of town, she makes her usual stops at local establishments where she knows she will find some ‘treasures’.
“I do this every day,” she says.
“It’s not easy, because everyone without work is doing the same.”
Collecting cans has become a way to earn a quick buck, Talonghenda says. She sells her collection to scrapyards and other customers.
But can collectors are everywhere, she says.
“You need to be strategic and out during peak hours.”
She says she always strikes the jackpot at the municipal dumpsite, where rubbish is formally discarded.
“This is how I feed my family and I will continue this trade for as long as I can,” she says.
THE CAN ECONOMY
Fredrick Shikongo, the manager of a scrapyard at Eenhana, says many unemployed women rely on the income they earn from trading cans for cash.
“Most of our customers come from the town’s surrounding informal settlements,” he says.
The scrapyard accepts various materials, like metals, steel, and cans, for cash.
Heavy steel is bought at N$2 per kilogramme, light steel at N$1 per kilogramme, and cans at N$9 per kilogramme. Shikongo says his scrapyard also serves customers from other villages.
Each morning and evening, scores of young men and women can be seen rummaging through dustbins all over Eenhana. With bags on their backs, they hunt discarded cans to sell.
Ndapandula Tobias (28) another resident of Eenhana, says this is how she supports her family. Originally from Epembe village, she moved to Palasa informal settlement and has been struggling to provide for her three children while unemployed.
Tobias says she left school in Grade 9 after becoming pregnant.
Despite plans to return to school, she had no one to care for her child, leading her to depend on her grandmother’s pension. After having two more children, she sought employment as a bartender, but found it challenging to balance work and family life.
“I eventually stopped working in bars and started doing odd jobs, like laundry and house cleaning. I noticed others collecting cans and selling them, which motivated me to do the same,” she says.
A successful day of collecting cans can bring in up to N$300, depending on the load, though competition is tough due to high unemployment rates, she says.
“You have to crush the cans to maximise their weight and value,” Tobias says.
‘CONSISTENCY IS KEY’
Fikameni Elifas (54) has been rummaging for cans for three years.
He says consistency and determination are essential for success in this line of work.
“From Wednesday to Sunday night I walk between bars, collecting cans from patrons. On other days, I search the streets, where the competition is fierce,” Elifas says.
Selma Abed (14) and her mother, Padelia Titus (34) collect cans late at night.
Titus has four children and is unemployed. She supplements her income from selling kapana by collecting cans.
“It’s not easy, but it helps me provide for my family. We don’t go to bed hungry, and we know there will be cans to find each day,” she says.
Titus’ dream is to ensure her children can focus on their education without worrying about money.
“I want them to be strong and persevere despite our hardships,” she says.
‘PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING’
Magnaem Johannes (36), another scrapyard owner, notes the significant impact of can collection on the lives of the unemployed at Eenhana.
“People are suffering. Last year, we closed for a few months, and many came to beg us for help – even just to buy bread for their children,” she says.
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