Hlangana nababungazi baseFlorida abamukela abantu ababaleke esiphephweni

Izindlu Zezinhlekelele manje seziyi-Airbnb.org

Uhlelo lwe-Airbnb lweZindlu Zezinhlekelele seluguquke lwaba yi-Airbnb.org, inhlangano engenzi nzuzo entsha sha ye-501(c)(3). Siyabonga ngokusungula umphakathi weZindlu Zezinhlekelele kanye nathi. Siyajabula ngokuthi ube yingxenye yalolu hambo olusha.

Ngesikhathi uJason noKaren bedukelene phakathi neSiphepho uMichael, ababungazi beZindlu Zezinhlekelele uBob noJuan basiza ekuhlanganiseni umndeni wabo ndawonye.

Ngo-October 2018, ngemva kwezivunguvungu ezinemvula ezafinyelela esiphephweni esiyiSigaba 5 eFlorida Panhandle, uJason noKaren bathatha izingane zabo babalekela e-Orlando.

“Njengoba sihlala eFlorida, singontamo-lukhuni uma kuziwa eziphephweni,” kusho uJason, onomndeni ohlala eFort Walton Beach, amamayela amathathu ukusuka ogwini. “Empeleni asikhathazeki ngazo ngaphandle uma ziyiSigaba 3 noma iSigaba 4 esinamandla. Kodwa lapho lesi sifinyelela iSigaba 5, akekho owabuza omunye. Sanquma ukuphuma.”

“Bavala izikole izinsuku ezimbili, okuyinto engavamile,” kusho uKaren, ofundisa imidlalo yaseshashalazini esikoleni samabanga aphakeme sendawo. “Sabona ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi kwakuyinto enkulu. Futhi sasifuna ukuba ndawonye, hleze kwenzeke okuthile okuyinhlekelele ngempela.”

Isiphepho uMichael sagadla ogwini olusenkabeni yeFlorida ngemimoya evunguza ngamamayela angu-150 ngehora—sasusa uphahla ezindlini, sadala izikhukhula emigwaqweni emikhulu ngamanzi asolwandle, salalisa phansi izintambo zikagesi, futhi sabeka zonke izindawo ezizungezile engozini. Ngaleso sikhathi, uJason wayebambeke ohambweni lwebhizinisi oluqhele ngamahora angu-10, futhi uKaren wayesekhaya namadodana abo amabili. Umndeni washeshe wabona ukuthi izindawo zokukhosela eziseduze zazigcwele futhi amahhotela ayebiza kakhulu.

“Ngahlola ama-app ami asehhotela futhi ngabona ukuthi ayebhukhwa ngokushesha, futhi amanani ayesemba eqolo, ngakho ngavula i-app yami ye-Airbnb,” kusho uJason. “Manje sekuyingxenye yohlelo lwethu lokubaleka ukuhlola i-Airbnb ngaphambi kokuhlola amahhotela. Awufuni ukuvaleleka emigwaqweni uzama ukubaleka lapho kugadla isiphepho. Uma siba side isikhathi ulindile, bayanda nabantu abanquma ukubaleka.”

Wavula i-app ye-Airbnb ocingweni lwakhe, futhi isaziso sabuza ukuthi yena noma umndeni wakhe bathintekile yini esiphephweni. Yilapho athola khona Izindlu Zezinhlekelele, uhlelo oluhlanganisa abantu abahlaselwe yizinhlekelele nezindawo zamahhala zokuhlala. Indlu ayithola—enamakamelo amathathu, izindlu zokugezela ezintathu—yayifinyeleleka ngemoto futhi yayisendaweni ekahle kakhulu ukuze umndeni uphinde uhlangane.

UJason noKaren bahlangana ku-Airbnb yabo esenkabeni yeFlorida, eningizimu yeOrlando—indawo ethandwa ngokukhethekile ngenxa yokuthi iseduze neDisney World. Leli khaya lalinobuhle obuphumuzayo, obungasolwandle—nefenisha enemibala egqamile nezindonga ezinemibala emihle.

Amadoda uBob noJuan baqala ukuvula ikhaya labo ngalolu hlelo ngo-2016, futhi kusukela lapho sebehlalise imindeni eminingana ethintwe yiZiphepho u-Irma noMichael. Sebeneminyaka engu-7 beshadile nengaphezu kweyishumi bendawonye; uBob usethathe umhlalaphansi futhi umenenja izindlu zabo, kanti uJuan usanda kusungula ibhizinisi lokuvakasha le-LGBT lokuvakashela e-Ecuador. Kuze kube manje, sebebungaze abantu abangaphezu kuka-2,000 abavela emazweni angaphezu kuka-35.

“Lapho sifika lapho, kwaba sengathi sisekhaya elikude nasekhaya,” kusho uKaren. “Yebo sasikhathazeke kakhulu ngekhaya lethu, kodwa kwakukuhle ukuba okunye kwaloko kucindezeleka kususwe emahlombe ethu. Sagajwa yinjabulo lapho sibona indawo yokubhukuda.”

Ubusuku obuthathu, lo mndeni waphumula, wazilungiselela kabusha, futhi waqapha izindaba ngenkathi isiphepho siqhubeka siqinisa. “Esimweni esicindezelayo, sazizwa sinakekelwe,” kusho uJason. “Kwenzeka nge-app, ngokumangalisayo.”

Ngisho noma uBob noJuan babesekhaya eFort Lauderdale, babesakwazi ukwenza umehluko bekude. UJuan wayelokhu exhumana noJason futhi elokhu ehlola ukuthi umndeni wakhe uqhuba kanjani. “Wawusekhona umuzwa oyisibopho wokuba nezivakashi endlini yakho,” kusho uBob, “Ngisho noma zibalekele izimo ezimbi kakhulu, usacabanga: Ngithemba ukuthi ngeke kwenzeke lutho kuzo.”

Njengokulindelekile, uJason noKaren balungiselela inkathi yesiphepho ngokuqongelela ukudla okungaboli nangokugcwalisa ubhavu wabo ngeqhwa nangamanzi. “Uma ulinda kuze kube yilapho, wonke umuntu eya ezitolo, uthola amashalofu engasenalutho,” kusho uKaren. “Sigcina amabhethri, amathoshi, namashaja aphathwayo asebenza ngebhethri wamafoni ethu, senzela uma kwenzeka kucisha ugesi.”

UJuan noBob balungiselela ukubungaza umndeni kaJason noKaren ngendlela abebengenza ngayo kunoma yisiphi esinye isivakashi se-Airbnb. “Uma sisohambweni, sonke sifuna ukuthola indawo esingazizwa sisekhaya kuyo,” kusho uJuan, eveza ukuthi lesi simo sasingahlukile. “Indawo ehlanzekile, owamukelekile kuyo, ezoba ephephile.”

Ngesikhathi uJason noKaren bephindela endlini yabo kamuva ngalelo viki, abazange bathole umonakalo omkhulu, kodwa abantu abaningi emphakathini abakuwo abazange babe naleyo nhlanhla. “Kuzothatha iminyaka ukulungisa nokwakha kabusha,” kusho uJason. “Akusakhulunywa ngakho ezindabeni, kodwa basekhona abantu ababhidlikelwe izindlu zabo futhi abahlala emadolobheni anamatende ePanama City.” Okungenani kufe abantu abangu-36 eSiphephweni uMichael, isiphepho esidale umonakalo omkhulu kunazo zonke esifundazweni kusukela ngo-1992.

“Kunokuthile okuzuzisayo ngokusiza umuntu ngaphandle kokulindela okuthile kuye,” kusho uJuan. “UJason uthe uzokhokha amahlandla ambalwa futhi sathi kuye: Asikho isidingo sokukhokha. Siyazi ukuthi anisenayo indawo yokuhlala futhi siyakujabulela ukusiza.”

Uthi, “Uma nathi singabhekana nesimo abakuso sokuhlaselwa yisiphepho, kungakuhle ukwazi ukuthi singaya eZindlini Zezinhlekelele.”

Imininingwane ekulesi sihloko kungenzeka isishintshile selokhu sashicilelwa.