GMA Coronavirus Support: R10 000 in Angel Rands to a very worried employer
An employer wants to take care of her seventeen employees but how can she during lockdown? Jacaranda FM and LottoStar has a plan!
BACKGROUND: There is great concern over the ability of small businesses to survive the national Coronavirus lockdown. Many employees already feel the pinch of no-work-no-pay, but the business owners and employers have to bear the burden of not being able to sustain their staff and their livelihood when lockdown is over. One such small business owner is Azania Patricia - owner of Patricia’s Sewing in Phalaborwa. She employees 17 people - whom she describe as the “unemployable”: people without matric, the poorest of the poor. Patricia is very proud of her staff, whom she taught and trained since opening her doors ten years ago. She calls her employees “Stars” and she’s very proud of the service they deliver to the Phalaborwa community. Business has been slow, even before the lockdown, so Patricia sold her vehicle in December to pay her staff their Christmas salaries. Now, she’s run out of options, with nothing left to sell. In desperation, Patricia turned to Good Morning Angels, not for herself, but for the sake of the 17 people she employs and the families they support.
You can see their work and support Patricia’s Sewing
REQUEST FOR: The 17 employees of Patricia’s Sewing in Phalaborwa
REQUEST FROM: Azania Patricia, owner of Patricia’s Sewing
ANGEL 1: Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels in partnership with LottoStar
SPONSORING: R10 000,00 in #AngelRands
ANGEL 2: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will add R44 000,00 (A total of R54 000) to send Patricia and each of her employees R3000,00 in AngelRands to buy food and essentials at their closest registered retailer to get them through lockdown.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Good morning. My name is Azania Patricia. I am the owner of Patricia's Sewing in Phalaborwa in Limpopo. I started this business in 2010 and the business permanently employs 17 South Africans. I have employed the unemployable, youths without Matric and was able to pass my Upholstery skills to them and now most of them are stars. Business have been going on well since then but since last year everything was not well. In December last year I sold our only vehicle, the Hyundai H100 so that I can cover the December Salaries. I was able to carry on for the past 2 months but now I am drowning in this big problem because of Corona Virus and lockdown. I don't how I can get to pay the workers’ salaries. I am a foreign national from Zimbabwe and they said I will not qualify for any assistance and the UIF will only take a minimum of 3 months to assist. I am afraid my team and their families will starve during this lock down. I don't need help personally but if I can get donations straight to my staff members bank accounts I will appreciate. Most of them haven't worked anywhere except here with me. I am having s tough time and sleepless nights. I don't have anything else to sell. Please help. Thank you for giving this your consideration.