In Occupational
Therapy; occupation is defined as everything people do to occupy themselves,
including looking after themselves (self-care), enjoying life (leisure), and
contributing to the social and economic fabric of their communities (productivity)
(CAOT, 2002). In a qualitative study by (Roberts, 2011), where he had interviewed professional
Occupational Therapists and 3rd year OT students, he found that the
overall definition of occupation was that it
provided accomplishment/fulfillment, social connection, satisfaction and fun,
self-identity/social identity/self esteem, roles and routines, feelings of
health and wellbeing. These findings concur with the theoretical and
empirical literature.
Whilst
working in the community of Mariannridge, my colleagues and I had to analyze a
community occupation which is different from what you are used to and
participate in it. this could be any occupation of interest from attending a
community soccer match, attending a service at their local church, volunteering
in any projects being run in the community, helping the mama’s selling in the
corner or laying floors; anything. I was looking forward to this so I started
looking around and enquiring about the different things that take place in the
community from the first week. I got to learn about the Albany project that
helps feed community members by donating loaves of bread and soup ingredients
to community members. The lady in charge of the projects distributes the bread
on Tuesdays to anyone that comes on the day and then prepares sandwiches for
people at the clinic with the leftovers bread, she also prepares soup for
community members on Wednesday. Other occupations that happen in the community
are soccer matches of the Mariannridge soccer team against other teams (On Saturdays);
shabeening at MMM Tavern on Fridays, Saturdays even Sundays, and selling of
goods at the Spaza shops around the community.
To
be honest, not much happens in the Community of Mariannridge, well at least not
anything I’d deem novel to me. In my
search to find an occupation in Mariannridge; I discovered all sorts of
occupations that I can potentially take on for e.g.; being a lifeguard for the
day at the community pool, helping to make homemade koe'sisters and amagwinya
and selling them house to house, and helping out the community Mechanic that
fixes most of the cars in the community (suggested by my supervisor). But
finally, the coolest idea was the thought of being a taxi conductor in one of
the local taxis in the community. I thought it would be interesting, then I
thought it would be even better if one of my colleges were to join me and
become the driver (I would have loved to drive too, but I don’t have my
license). So I proposed the idea to her and she loved, she became more excited than
me.
Straight
away we approached the rank manager and owner of a local taxi, they thought it
was a cool idea and agreed straight away but we had to be in the next day as
early as possible so that we operate during peak hour. And so we did, but we
couldn’t do it on that day because the taxi owner said that he had been
allocated a Pinetown route that morning and wasn’t doing local so we must come
the next day. Still hopeful and excited, we came early in the morning, and
again he told us stories. Since we had been allocated a time to do the occupation,
we started thinking of back-up occupations just in case this Taxi one didn’t
work out. Realizing that the taxi owner we had initially approached was not too
promising on keeping his word, we approached someone else in the community who
we thought might be able to help; and he did.
That
morning we went to Mariannridge with our fingers crossed hoping that this new
taxi owner keeps to his word. He kept to his word and more. As we were eagerly waiting for him, an orange
taxi pulled over. He introduced himself as Trevor and told us to hop him. The
taxi was empty so I quickly assumed my position as the sliding door operator
otherwise known as the conductor. “Right ladies, what can I do for you?” he
asked, I replied and said “tell us all there is to be known about the taxi
industry”. He smiled and said “That’s actually really interesting because
Orange and I have a lot of stories to share, I even wrote a book about us.”
From then on I was taken.
The
taxi owner is character filled with so much personality, in his eyes, words and
expressions I could tell that he had a story to tell, so much to share, and us
taking on this occupation was another platform for him to share as much as he
could with us. We started driving around the community, started in the new
section of Mariannridge, whilst driving Trevor was familiarizing us to the taxi
industry and how hard is was for him to enter since he wasn’t originally from
Mariannridge. Whilst driving by to pick up passengers, we stopped at a “Spaza”
shop where one of the taxi managers operate, he informed us about the morning
roster and how important it is that the taxis’ keep to the roster otherwise
there would be havoc of taxi drivers fighting for their turn. We were informed
about the different routes that the taxis take and the importance of peek hour
in the morning and in the afternoon. Trevor and the manager joke-fully insinuated
that peek hour is also when drivers will be at their highest (obviously
implying that driver would be “hi” from weed). Trevor then told us about a
story of a taxi driver who got shot because he picked up passengers when it wasn’t
his turn to load. “Simple, dead” he said.
We
picked up our first two passengers who looked completely bewildered as to
what’s going on; with each passenger getting on the taxi Trevor quickly
explained and actually boasted about having a white girl drive Orange. Not once
did he refer to his taxi as a taxi, he made it clear to us that Orange was not
just any regular taxi and that every ride in Orange was an experience and a new
adventure. They were more interested on the ‘whito” that was driving the taxi.
Almost every passengers we picked up couldn’t help but ask, “Ey Trevor my man
what going on?” Even the elderly giggled to see a white person driving a taxi in
Mariannridge and more especially in the Ghetto’s of Mariannridge. One of the
comments was “Now there is literally nothing Orange hasn’t done, today she has
a white girl driving and a little black Chico as the conductor.” Trevor laughed
and said, Orange and I just made history in Mariannridge, I should add it to my
book, he joked. Everybody in the
community seemed to know Orange and Trevor; we had to make numerous stops just
for him to show people that he had a “whito” and a darkie operating Orange. It
was fun; it brought about excitement in the community and was an enjoyable
experience for me.
The Orange experience for me made me realize how much
meaning and value one can place on an occupation. Trevor is just one of those
people that make you reconsider issues like this. My granny would never
understand why I chose being a conductor out of all the things I would have
chosen to do because growing up we were
taught never to trust a taxi driver and a conductor because they are unruly and
uneducated. This is true for majority of people from the location as
most view taxi driving as a way out if
you didn’t finish school and when you can’t find a job. Taxi driving in the location
is seen as the 2nd highest achievement, runner up to being the taxi
owner of course, and the least important being the conductor. I for one have a
lots of experience with taxi’s because I’ take taxi’s almost everywhere I go; some
of the stories you hear about taxi are true, and others not. Trevor and Orange
for me was a story that reminded me to do the little things with big love
because at the end of it all; occupation can be anything,
from bike riding to freefall parachuting. If you find meaning and purpose it,
do it and do it with some passion, some compassion, some humour and style. 
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