A lot happened this year when the pandemic overtook the world and more unanticipated events knocked on our doors. People lost their jobs and some may have found themselves enclosed in darkness, others stepped out to spread some light despite their troubles. Lusindiso Malgas is one such person who livened up the streets with his witty placards after being laid off.
When we feel stuck and surrounded by challenges, instead of feeling bad for ourselves and indulging in self-pity, it can be refreshing to choose another option that takes us towards better days.
Lusindiso Malgas, 27, from Eastern Cape, South Africa, found himself in a distressing situation when he lost his job at a retail store during the lockdown. This father-of-three had to find a way to deal with it and meet the needs of his family.
He didn’t blame the situation or sit around feeling helpless. Instead, Lusindiso came up with an elevating plan. He stepped outside on the streets holding some witty and hilarious signs. This cheered up the passersby and even helped him earn a few bucks.
“The idea was always there. When I was young in school, I wrote funny sentences on the blackboard when the teacher wasn’t there and the class laughed so hard. So I took this and put the same idea on my signboards,” this dad shared.
His decision to share his sense of humor with the people proved to be a successful plan. He shared, “People love what I do. They always greet me and tip me. They are all friendly and welcoming.”
He further added that all those people know him by name. This dad-of-three expressed his gratitude for their generosity.
Brendan Cottle, a 34-year-old businessman, found Lusindiso’s idea to stand on the streets with such amusing placards really impressive. He shared, “It was only in June this year when I started to see Lu at the traffic signal I usually pass by on a daily basis. I stopped a few times to chat to him but it was short due to the signal change.”
“It was mid-July when I pulled to the side of the road and had a proper conversation with Lu. I wanted to know his story and why he was there.”
He discovered some interesting things about him and how he had been receiving encouraging comments for what he was doing. “Every time I saw him, he was always happy and smiling. The people that engaged with him were feeding off his positivity and supporting him by tipping him cash or giving him food,” Brendan revealed.
After this conversation, Brendon set up a fundraiser for Lusindiso with a kind intention to help him collect enough money to buy a house and realize his family’s dream.
They aim at raising 250,000 ZAR ($15,365) and within a few weeks, they were able to gather 76,090 ZAR ($4,677). These two stand confident that they would be able to achieve the goal amount!
Lusindiso wishes to commence his own business of clothing with his trademark epigrams and slogans attractively inscribed on every piece.
“We’ve already had some enquiries and some local businesses that would like to partner up and assist with this. His signboards have become somewhat famous – he even has some people wanting to buy his signs and some businesses wanting him to advertise their business on his signboards at busy intersections,” Brendon shared.
“I am a true believer of paying it forward and that positivity breeds positivity. Lu caught my attention and I wanted to step in and assist him and his family.”
