Indlela umbungazi we-Airbnb u-Brenda athola ngayo iholo lomhlalaphansi
Umbungazi we-Airbnb u-Brenda wamukela izivakashi ngemfudumalo endlini yakhe yesibili esemphakathini wase-Gentilly e-New Orleans. U-Brenda wazalwa futhi wakhulela e-New Orleans futhi uyaziqhenya ngokwamukela izivakashi ezivela emhlabeni wonke endlini yakhe nasedolobheni lakubo. Uthi, “Bengilokhu ngihlala lapha yonke iminyaka yami engu-66, futhi senginalo muzi iminyaka engu-32.” “Ngiye ngaya ezikoleni zomphakathi e-New Orleans, futhi ngiyakujabulela ukubonisa abantu idolobha lakithi.” Ngesikhathi ezohlala nomyeni wakhe wesibili, u-Brenda wayengafuni ukuyidayisa indlu ayekhulisele kuyo izingane zakhe. Ukubungaza kumsizile wayigcina indlu futhi waziphilisa ngemva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi.
U-Brenda wathola i-Airbnb ngesikhathi esiza indodakazi yakhe ukuba ithuthele e-Spain. “Sahlala endlini yowesifazane othile, futhi wayenomoya omuhle. Waze wasiza nasekuthutheni indodakazi yami lapho iya endlini yayo. Kwakuyisikhathi esimnandi ngempela, futhi ngathi ngenhliziyo ‘Ngingamenzela umuntu lokhu.'” Manje useyakwenza. Lapho izivakashi zizovakasha, u-Brenda uzinikeza iphakheji yokuzamukela nokuthile okuhlafunwayo nokusikisela. Uphinde aqinisekise nokuthi ziyazi ukuthi zingayaphi nendlela yokulijabulela lonke idolobha. “Ngizinikeza inkulumo yami emfushane ‘ka-Miss Brenda.’” Esinye sezivakashi zami sathi kunjengokungathi sihlala endlini ka-anti waso esimthandayo.”
U-Brenda uyakuthanda ukuxoxela izivakashi ngolwazi analo lwezindawo ezizungezile futhi uzithumela ezindaweni ezingeyona ingxenye yokuzithokozisa kwase-New Orleans okuvamile. “Ngitusa njalo ukuthi abantu baye e-Lakefront Airport lapho kufikela khona izindiza eziphrayivethi. Lapho kunesitolo sokudlela esincanyana esibizwa i-Messina—banama-pancake amnandi kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Oda amabili, uyobe u-oda amaningi kakhulu ngoba awusayizi wepuleti,” kusho u-Brenda ehleka. “Ngibe sengisikisela i-Sassafras, lapho ungathola khona i-gumbo ehamba phambili kunawo wonke e-New Orleans. Benza i-gumbo emnandi nsuku zonke beyiqala phansi.”
U-Brenda ubona izivakashi zakhe zisekela amabhizinisi endawo ngemali eziyibekayo uma zihlala ku-Airbnb yakhe. “Abantu abeza bezohlala nami, bangase bangabi nawo u-$600 wokuhlala izinsuku ezintathu ehhotela lasedolobheni kodwa imali abanayo, bazoyithatha yonke bayisebenzise e-New Orleans. Ngakho [izivakashi] zisebenzisa imali yazo ezitolo, futhi ziyanezela emnothweni wakithi.”
Ku-Brenda, ukubungaza kuyindlela yokugcina ikhaya lakhe nokuziphilisa. Ngemva kokulimala okwashintsha ukuphila kwakhe, u-Brenda kwadingeka ashiye umsebenzi ngaphambi kwesikhathi. “Ngahlinzwa entanyeni, futhi angibange ngisakwazi ukusebenza.” Ngemva kweSiphepho u-Katrina, amanani omshwalense wakhe nezintela zendlu kwaphindeka izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezimbili. “Uma usukhokhele izindleko zamanzi ezimba eqolo, ugesi, umshwalense nezintela zendlu, usala nani? Abangane nomndeni wakho, yilokho osala nakho.”
Ukubungaza kunikeze indlela ebalulekile yokuthola iholo ukuze kukhokhelwe lezi zindleko ezinkulu. “[Ukubungaza] kuwukuphela kwendlela yami yokuthola imali, kona kanye ne-Social Security.” U-Brenda ukhathazeke ngokuthi idolobha lingase limphuce lokhu. Uma idolobha liwavala unomphela amaphemithi okuqashisa isikhashana amakhaya aphelele ezindaweni ezihlala izakhamuzi, “kungaba bucayi ngempela, futhi ngiyobe ngilahlekelwe. Ngaphandle kwalokho, ngikhathazeke kakhulu ngendlela idolobha elingayenza ngayo leyo mali, imali eliyithola ekuqashiseni kwesikhashana. Kungalikhinyabeza kakhulu iholo lami. Ukukhungatheka kwakho konke lokhu kukhulu.”
Ekugcineni, u-Brenda unethemba lokuthi idolobha lizokwenza isinqumo esinengqondo sokuvumela abantu abanjengaye abanamaphemithi esikhashana okuqashisa isikhashana, noma amakhaya esibili, ukuba baqhubeke bebungaza amakhaya abo aphelele. “Ngithemba ukuthi bazonquma ngendlela ezozuzisa abanikazi bezindlu, abantu asebehlale lapha isikhathi eside njengami.” Ngeziqondiso zokuqashisa isikhashana esibonelelayo nezinengqondo, u-Brenda angaqhubeka ethola iholo elikahle ukuze aziphilise futhi aqhubeke eyinxusa elihamba phambili ledolobha lakubo elihle.
Imininingwane ekulesi sihloko kungenzeka isishintshile selokhu sashicilelwa.