I remember the food trucks. They would come to the main kgotla in Oodi once a month. We would all queue up there, with empty wheelbarrows, waiting in the sun. People of all ages, we all gathered patiently. The trucks were not reliable. I remember that quite often we would wait two or three days for food.
I remember other villagers, the ones with jobs, would pass by. I could hear them remark sometimes, or see them whispering to each other. They knew we had to depend on the government to feed us. For me, it was a constant reminder that my parents had passed away. There were so many of us receiving food baskets, but I always felt alone in that line.
When the trucks came, I remember carrying all that food back home. We didn’t have a refrigerator, so I had to ask the neighbours to use theirs. In return, they expected a cut from our rations. We also had to be careful of thieves, because they knew we had food in the house.
Often the meat was not good. Too many bones, and slightly sour from the heat. The vegetables would spoil too soon. I very quickly learned how to ration the food and make it last for a month, as best we could. Impor- tant lessons for a teenage girl.
And then things changed. We were told to report to the council, and each of us was given a card. The card, we were told, would allow us to visit the local stores and buy the food we wanted, when we wanted.
I immediately felt an improvement in the quality of my life. With my card, I could shop like a normal person. I chose the brands I wanted, and I could buy a bag at a time, without having to worry about the heavy load home, our storage problem – or the thieves. Everything we ate from that point on was fresh. I couldn’t believe how much choice we had.
As an orphan, the food coupon system completely changed my views of the world. Suddenly, I felt like I belonged in the community. I could concentrate better at school. No longer was I self-conscious. Nobody was teasing me.
Having that sense of hope and optimism and faith helped to set me up for the bright future that I now experience and take for granted today. I’m moving forward in my life and career – and I’m not sure if things would have worked out this well if not for the food coupon system.