It is time for a paradigm shift in country
Please don't misunderstand me, I am incredibly fortunate to study further (#feesmustfall) however lately my cup has been pretty empty. I have enjoyed my academic terms because of the creativity and diversity of information it brought. I also found a way to make things interesting and dare I say fun with the help of my friends. Toilet humor for example wasn't vulgarity but rather jokes about dual flush systems. The list goes on.This afternoon I decided to go to the bakery close to res for a treat. A "life can be sweet" treat if you will. I walked in and the attendant immediately recognized me when I walked in
" You haven't been here in weeks, where have you been?" she explained. I had been trying to be good. For some odd reason I spent fifteen minutes trying to decide what to get. Even the baker came to the front. I'm the butterfly girl, I should get a butterfly pastry( it is rolled puff pastry with sugar in the middle and brushed with syrup). The friendly attendant laughed at me and half-heatedly tried to sell me other treats, but kept telling me that we both knew I wanted the butterfly pastry. When I eventually bought the butterfly. Then I was scolded for depriving myself and invited back next Sunday.
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| Butterfly pastry or Varkoortjie in Afrikaans is a delightfully light pastry perfectly accompanied by tea on Sundays. |
The point of my story is not to convince you to buy baked goods, but my experience brought on the realization of the reason for my deflated attitude as of late. I am concerned about the treatment of workers in our country especially in the hospitality sector. Like the attendant the universe keeps telling me that I should do something about it, but I guess the fear of ridicule has stopped me till now.
My idealistic heroism of those in management positions in this industry has been lost.
I used to look at these suited men and women and secretly adore them. I guess this makes me a hospitality nerd but I knew departmental heads statistics as if they were sports people. I used to collect property information, Eat out magazine was a manual to life and I read Trip Adviser more than Facebook ( for a personal my age that is quite intense).
It was a slow process, which I fought for a long time. I had stars in my eyes, why would I resent a position I being groomed to fill?
Call it fate if you will, but one day I ended up in housekeeping department running some head offices errands and accidentally fell into a deep discussion with some laundry attendants. It all started with asking them how they were and wanting a real response.
Their concerns and grievances were all things I had noticed before however my enthusiasm and positive attitude wasn't going to help them. They put it rather bluntly, they will work hard for the rest of their lives never to attain a fraction of what the guests have. They explained the fear they felt of guest, who at the slightest complaint could place their positions jeopardy. They feel as if they are going no where in their careers.
It all became apparent to me. The hospitality industry is growing and thriving in Africa. Many of the basic skills involved in service can be taught without the need of tertiary education. Surely this is a means to help relieve the unemployment rates drastically.
We have a problem with entitlement in our nation. The poor want grants but often without contributing to society and the wealthy hate any threat to their monopoly on opportunity.
About a month later I transferred to a different hotels housekeeping department. I took off my suit, wiped off my make up and put on a housekeepers smock and it changed my life.
I didn't have to wear the properties uniform as an intern. I thought it would be practical for cleaning I never imagined the social implications that occurred.
The higher management from head office didn't recognize me and I was chastised for not wearing a name badge when coming to dust their offices (which are bigger than the departmental store room). I wasn't even given the opportunity to explain that I was a student. People kept asking me how many children I had, such a stereotype. My greeting as ignored as people blatantly looked the other way. Other departments even laughed as we leaned the staff bathrooms that they dirtied. Guests would hammer the close button in the lift if the saw me pass. A male guest gave me no warning and used the bathroom in front of me as I cowered in a corner. The list continues it is demeaning and dehumanizing.
A housekeeper pointed in out so nicely " guest's love the suit" to explain my sudden unpopularity.
This same attendant told me "Just because we clean shit doesn't makes us shit". She's right, someone has to do it.
Just because your room rate is more that someones monthly salary does not mean you own them Slavery is over!!!
Also it disappoints me when I meet managers who allow their positions to inflate their ego. You are nothing without your staff. You can't run a restaurant/hotel on your own. They forget their employees are people. If you spend most of your life at work surly it should be a pleasant environment
Money and status is no reason to forget you humanity.
That's why I want to implore students from all industries to start thinking about the leaders they want to be. Do they want to inherit broken industries and manage it in a way that oppresses those in our country that actually try to emancipate themselves from poverty?
Or will we build companies run with sustainability in every sense of the word. One that hopes to grow and expand whilst empowering the workers. It is possible. We have been indoctrinated that there only is enough for the elite. This is a lie. Use your brains and your hands to build, not break. Stop asking for solutions and think about it. The world is ours. Let's take positive strides forward and fight the urge to pillage and destroy like our fore fathers.
It is our responsibility to create opportunities for ourselves and for others. Companies that truly thrive are those that work together. We are all different. Our skill sets and ability levels are not the same. However real lasting change requires us each to work together to build a country worth living in.
I hope to reach out to other concerned individuals and build a forum where we can collaborate to formulate solutions.
