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- Lungiswa Xhamela was preparing to close down her online teaching business last week after ongoing load shedding cost her 80% of her students.
- But thanks to a Cape Town company, Xhamela is now able to stay online even during load shedding.
- She received an 800-watt hybrid power inverter system which will protect her during ongoing blackouts.
A Free State woman, who threw in the towel after she lost 80% of her international student clients in her online teaching business due to load shedding, has been given a lifeline by a Good Samaritan who sponsored her with a backup power device.
Lungiswa Xhamela, 33, had given up and was already in the process of looking for a job after her class size dwindled from 18 students to only four per day.
Xhamela lost all hope after a string of students quit her classes and left bad ratings and reviews on her profile, all because they were annoyed by her unreliable connection caused by rolling power outages in South Africa.
But after News24 highlighted her plight, businessman Linden Hugo of You Go Digital jumped in and helped Xhamela.
Hugo, from Cape Town, sponsored her with an 800-watt hybrid power inverter system to help her beat load shedding.
READ | Load shedding shuts down single mom's online teaching business after students quit over disruptions
The device recharges while the electricity is on and when the power cuts out, Xhamela connects her laptop, ring light and Wi-Fi router to the inverter using a multi plug and continues with her classes.
The battery life of the device lasts between four to six hours.
An excited Xhamela, from Virginia, told News24 the donation had saved her life and business.
"Thank you to Linden Hugo of You Go Digital for sponsoring me with an inverter, it has been such a blessing at this time, I haven't missed a single lesson since it arrived and has made my life so much easier and teaching experience more professional."
She added that she hoped to attract more students soon.
Xhamela, a single mother to an eight-year-old daughter, also provides for her unemployed mother who lost her job due to Covid-19 in April 2021.
Hugo told News 24 he did not have a smooth upbringing.
"My biological father actively chose to not be involved in my life from birth, while my mother's life was filled with other priorities. Seeing Lungiswa being willing to go out of her way as a parent to provide for her daughter is so commendable," he said.
READ | Eastern Cape teen needs solar-powered oxygen system that could save her during load shedding
Hugo's love for children proved to be the driving force behind his decision to step in and help Xhamela.
"Being a parent is tough enough, doing it by yourself must be so much harder. I'm a parent myself and I cannot imagine having to do it alone. Then adding a business on top of that.
He said:
He added it was only due to other people being willing to assist him on his journey through life, and giving him opportunities, that he is where he is today.
And he promised himself that when given the opportunity to do something for someone else, he would never hesitate.
READ | SA suffers 100th day of load shedding this year, and there's more to come
"Lungi's situation aligned with my personal experiences in so many ways. We can only build a better SA by working together. That's how we can make this country better. We all need to move forward for SA to move forward," said Hugo.
The businessman described load shedding as an unnecessary obstacle.
Eskom's rolling blackouts have wreaked havoc across the country forcing many small businesses to close.
