UPDATE: Methi aunty' shares how KZN unrests affected her business
Unemployment was never an option for Lalitha Neesha Kanayee, so she started farming...
Following the looting and violence in the province and hot spots of Phoenix and Chatsworth, we contacted her to get an update on how she is doing.
Previously we spoke to Lalitha when we just discovered her business and we were moved by her life story, which you can catch up on right here:
Times have been tough and Lalitha has had almost every obstacle thrown her way.
READ: Durban musician performs incredibly motivational 'Get Vaccinated' parody
The 46-year-old mom of two lives in Seven Tanks near the Silverglen Nature Reserve in Chatsworth where the community is made up of all kinds of small-scale farmers.
After finishing school she got married and started a family.
READ: "My relative has offered their apartment for free, but I don't want to bruise my partner's ego"
But soon she was faced with her first stumbling block when her husband was convicted of murder and was sentenced to jail, where he is still currently serving his sentence.
She told IOL that he took care of the family and life became increasingly hard as they had no income. So she did what anyone would do and started job hunting. She did many odd jobs, cleaned homes and eventually became a waitress. But unfortunately, she had lost that job and not long after her health took a turn for the worse.
READ: #RebuildKZN: R15-million going to charities assisting riot and looting recovery
Lalitha suffered three heart attacks, underwent triple heart bypass surgery, and applied for a disability grant. Although the grant application was successful, it was not enough to support her family.
She thought back to when she was a child. When she was in primary school, Lalitha wanted to learn how to farm while her sister learned how to cook. With the help of her grandfather, Nandlall Pardesy, and father, Ramkissoon Nandlall, she quickly learned how to prepare the soil for planting, how to plant, water, care for, and harvest the crops.
I watched my grandfather and father toil from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. They planted vegetables and fruit. After they harvested the crops, they took them to a small market in Unit 3 (now known as the Bangladesh Market) where they sold the produce. Our farm served as a source of food for our family and it helped us earn some money.
READ: WATCH: 7-year-old Taylor addresses looters in truthful and uplifting video
With the skills she had acquired as a child, she decided to put them to use and started growing methi herbs near a river that runs close to her house. She had decided on this specific type of herb because they grow so quickly (six days in the summer and ten days in winter), but it is still a challenge for her considering her heart condition.
She sells her harvest three times a week and the rest of the week she plants the seeds for the new batch.
READ: Baby saved from burning building by Durban mom and crowd of heroes
What has really helped her grow her business is social media!
I sell them for R10 a dozen and on most days, I am sold out within a few hours. Social media has helped me build my business. Through my posts, I got so many new customers. I have more 5,000 followers on Facebook, who share and like my posts. It is overwhelming. I am thankful for the support. Many people have been left without jobs due to Covid-19. My advice is to find your skill and use it to help you generate an income
After Lalitha's story was shared online, there were some unfortunate comments made by a few commentators, Stacey and J Sbu managed to contact her for her reaction.
Listen to the podcast below:
You can find Lalitha and her herbs near the A5 shop in Chatsworth.
Want to catch up on all your favourite duo's best moments? Listen to everything #StaceyAndJSbu below:
Main image courtesy of Lalitha Neesha Kanayee/Facebook