Student Palesa* has been relying on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant since February when she lost her fundingafter switching courses.
She's barely able to survive, and the R370 she receives is too little. She buys mostly noodles, which she says are known as “student groceries” because that is all she can afford.
Palesa, from Bloemfontein in the Free State, is one of the millions of people in the country who rely on the grant for survival, said she used the money to buy toiletries and groceries but it barely last two weeks.
“I lost my bursary because I did two years at the University of Free State where I was studying teaching. While studying the course, I realised that teaching is a calling and for me, I was doing it because I was forced to do it,” she said.
“I then decided to study somatology. I have tried applying for funding, with no luck. I have signed an acknowledgment of debt with the institution I am studying with. I am trusting God with my situation.
“I hardly buy meat because from that money [R370], I have to buy groceries and toiletries. I eat noodles three times a day,”
Some days, Palesa said, she goes to class on an empty stomach while waiting for her grandmother to send her some money.
“Towards month end the situation is bad and this causes me depressive episodes; honestly I can't study when I am depressed.”
Her grandmother from QwaQwa, who receives a pensioner's grant, has to forget about her plans some months and help Palesa so that she has food.
“She sometimes sends R400 when it gets difficult, but honestly, it is also not enough. However, I cannot expect her to be supporting me because she is supporting my child and three other grandchildren. One of them is in school and two other grandkids are unemployed,” she said.
I lost my bursary because I did two years at the University of Free State where I was studying teaching. While studying the course, I realised that teaching is a calling and for me, I was doing it because I was forced to do it.
— Palesa*
Last week, the SA Social Security Agency revealed that more than 17-million people applied for the SRD grant in September, which is an increase of more than 3-million people since September 2021, when 13.8-million people applied.
KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of applicants with 4.4-million applications, followed by Gauteng with 3.2-million and Limpopo with 2.3 million.
Lerato, also not her real name, is 21 and from Katlehong on the East Rand, said the grant helps her put food on the table.
“I stay with my unemployed mother and grandmother, and my grandmother receives a [pensioner's] grant as well but, in most cases, she has to prioritise her medication because she is diabetic. The grant I get, I use it to add to groceries by buying vegetables and fruits for my grandmother because of her condition,” she said.
Lerato said she also makes money by working at a neighbour's catering company.
“Sometimes when my neighbour has big events, she calls me. I help her with catering and she gives me about R400 and R500 which I then use to lay-by clothes and buy toiletries.”
Unemployed graduate Mpho, not a real name, said she uses her R370 to help her father to provide for their family of five.
“I sometimes help my father because the pressure is too much on him. You can see when most of the time when he wants to buy stuff for himself, he is forced to lay-by them because he cannot afford to buy them and still provide for us,” she said.
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