Family collects cans for N$100 a bag
Nicklas Ortman and Margeret Garies collect and crush discarded cans to earn money for food and school.
Nicklas Ortman, 49, and Margeret Garies, 49, collect discarded cans around Windhoek to sell for income. Their sons, Immanuel (16) and Joshua Gariseb (12), sometimes help their father search for cans near Grove Mall. The family spends most of their day collecting recyclable material, returning home around 19:00.
A bag of crushed cans, weighing up to 30 to 40 cans, can fetch up to N$100. Ortman stated that taxi costs sometimes prevent them from travelling to collect cans. The earnings are used for basic needs like food and school expenses for their children. Immanuel, in Grade 7, expressed pride in his father's efforts to provide for the family.
The family has faced dangers while collecting cans, including threats and robberies. Ortman described one incident where robbers threatened their lives. Despite the hardships, the family continues to collect cans to survive and support their children's education.
Why it mattersThe family's income depends on collecting and selling crushed cans, which they use for food and their children's schooling.