Ladies and gentlemen, today I would like to share a wonderful story of how life on the farms is. It is my privilege to share my experience and knowledge with you. From my point of view, I think living on farms is cheaper than living in town. On the farm your boundaries are not really limited. I am thinking of how one can access nature, enjoying the sounds of animals and birds. You can ease your mind by walking in the forest, enjoying the smells and the landscape, especially in the summertime. On farms life is easier because you have water, firewood and milk at no cost. I am focusing on the farm workers or the labourers. On some farms you get meat for free (for instance, on some farms people get 2 kg or 3 kg pakkies vleis as randsoen (allowance)).
Dear readers, what I am trying to say here is that some of the things people in towns can only get for money, those on farms have the privilege to enjoy for free. The challenges lie elsewhere. In today‘s life, everything has its ups and downs. Farms are far from the town and you have to travel for long distances to see a doctor or for shopping. If you don‘t have your own transportation, you have to rely on the employer’s vehicle, and it depends on when he is travelling. You have to wait until he is going to town and ask him to take you along.
The common problem one faces on farms is that when you and the employer enter a contract for recruitment, it’s fine, but he hardly ever keeps his word. He keeps changing everyday. The other problem is that farm workers are underpaid, but have to work for long hours. If you get sick or become disabled, the farm owners fire you, because you are now useless to them. The other challenge is that your kids can‘t go to preschool, because we don‘t have a place to stay in town for the kids to access early childhood classes. It is a challenge for the kids, because it is a requirement at our schools that a kid should have attended early childhood classes to qualify for grade one. Those who live in towns have preschools (kindertuin) class, but at the farms there is nothing. It is sometimes hard for the farm workers’ kids to have education and go to school, because of transport and other challenges.
Hi my name is Aaron “Tebsanton” Anton from Namibia Gobabis I am proud to be a satellite pioneer I love my community there for it’s so important for me to share what is going on in my community on the website… thanks
