WHEN Frans Biya found a job at the beginning of the month he was a happy man.
He thought his problems of putting food on the table for his four children were over.
But the 42-year-old didn’t realise that travelling 250km from his home in Mpumalanga to Tshwane every day would cost him more money than he could afford. He realised he had to come up with a plan. So he turned an old Nissan 1400 bakkie into his new home.
Frans found the vehicle abandoned on the side of the road and pushed it to the building where he works as a security guard. Now he sleeps in the bakkie when he needs to be in Tshwane for work.
Frans’ problems started when he lost his job in Mpumalanga at the beginning of the year.
“It broke my heart that I could no longer support my children. We had to depend on a social grant.
“When a friend called me about a job opening in the Tshwane CBD I jumped at the opportunity. I borrowed money to get to the interview and I was immediately hired.
“I couldn’t afford to rent a place and I decided to swallow my pride and sleep on the streets like a hobo. After sleeping rough for a week I found the bakkie and decided to turn it into a bedroom. I now have a roof over my head to keep me safe. I covered the windows with cardboard and plastic to keep it cozy.”
He said the bakkie was just a temporary solution to his problem as he hoped to have saved enough money to rent a room by the end of the month.
