Gugulethu woman fixes broken paraffin heaters to make a living

Cape Town - After losing her job last year before the start of the lockdown, 26-year-old Sinethemba Dorani had to find ways to make a living.

For months she applied for jobs and was unsuccessful. On the brink of giving up, she remembered that she was taught a skill by her good neighbour: how to fix heaters.

The Gugulethu woman now makes a living by fixing heaters outside the Gugulethu Square shopping centre.

“The first heater I successfully fixed was mine,” she said excitedly. “When I started, I didn’t think about making money but bringing a solution to the community’s challenges. Everywhere you go, there’s a home complaining about a leaking heater or one that is smoky. I thought I could help and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

With Cape Town having longer cold days, her business is booming as people go to her to have their heaters fixed.

“Electricity is expensive, people are using paraffin heaters to keep warm. Even in summer the business does well, because there are houses that are cold inside and need to be heated.”

Dorani said getting her hands dirty with paraffin was often looked down on by both men and women, who believed that a “beautiful woman” like her could not handle the work of fixing heaters.

Her line of work is perceived to be for men only.

“I let my work do the talk for me. When people come with their heaters, they think I’m only handling administrative duties of the business and ask, ’When is a guy coming to look at their heater?’ When I say it’s me that will be doing the fixing, you can see the shock from their faces, but I let my work do the talking.”

The charge for fixing a leaking or smoky heater is around R250. She fixes about five heaters a day and with the money she makes she is able to put food on the table and pay rent.

Dorani said her attitude got her where she is.

“I’ve never limited myself. When people doubt me, to me that is a motivation. I do not suffer from the ‘what will people say?’ syndrome. Everything I do, I do it to make a better life for myself as there is no one to do that for me.”

Luvuyo Mabhula, who taught Dorani how to fix heaters, said the young woman is a hard worker.

“She is a talented hard worker, I made her my right-hand person. I used to work with guys who were not committed to this, but her, she gives it her all and is good at what she does.”

Weekend Argus

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 10:38:04 GMTVelani Ludidi

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