When Esther Phooko first set up her bookstall at the Durban North Hyper, she was described as an extremely quiet and withdrawn person.
Now, the 41-year-old is the proud recipient of a Women of Inspiration award, bestowed to her by the Durban Book Fair. “Esther has had a tough life. She was a very quiet, withdrawn person when she first set up at the Durban North Hyper. Over time, she has begun to be more confident and comfortable interacting with people. She has become a favourite with some of our customers who will often call to check if Esther is at her kiosk before setting off to come to Hyper and Mugg & Bean,” said founder of Micromega Publications and
The Booksellers of Mzanzi Project, Anivesh Singh. Singh launched the Booksellers of Mzanzi project with the aim of enabling vulnerable and homeless people to earn a dignified living through selling books. He then later partnered with the Denis Hurley Centre to grow the project, which is now known as Booksellers of Mzanzi-Street Lit. Most of the 14 booksellers were homeless when the project began and now, most are able to afford rented accommodation. The Durban Book Fair awarded Phooko for not only playing a part in promoting a reading culture in Durban, a UNESCO city of literature, but for her role as an inspirational icon in launching and growing her own business. “In my opinion, the award is well-deserved as she has shown determination and has built a business of her own in very challenging times. It would have been easy to become despondent, however Esther has worked hard to succeed and get her book business going. Over time the sales of her books have helped her earn and provide for herself and her family,” Singh said.
Kevin Goosen and Rowena Govender of the Durban North Hyper have been passionate supporters of the project for almost three years. Govender, a recipient of the award herself, describes seeing Phooko every day as a miracle. “Esther is a simple woman with a heart of gold and she comes to the Durban North Hyper early in the mornings, despite the weather, to set up her book stand. Ester’s bookstand is next to the local restaurant at the Hyper and customers enjoy reading a good book whilst having their coffee. They don’t leave without purchasing a book.” Govender describes Phooko as an individual with the most amazing personality who gets overjoyed whenever she receives a large donation of books. According to Govender, Phooko will even send her pictures and the two will celebrate over a meal. “Pick n Pay Durban North Hyper has also allocated book collection boxes where customers and staff can donate their used books to the booksellers,” said Govender.
Celebrated local author, Kiru Naidoo, has also sung praises for Phooko’s work ethic and determination, describing her as a job creator rather than a job seeker. “The project is remarkable in that there are no administrative costs. Booksellers like Esther keep every cent they earn. When Anivesh Singh and I dreamt up this idea as a remedy for unemployment we had no idea it could change people’s lives in this way. Esther is also contributing in a big way to the environment by recycling books rather than people dumping books they no longer need. She brings much joy to people who can pick up a book for a few rands rather than the normal bookshop prices. Overall she has done wonders for promoting reading, which is a key Durban Book Fair objective,” said Naidoo.
Phooko, who was humbled by the award, said that the project has changed her life for the better. “Special thanks to Rowena Govender, she treats me like family and she is so kind to me. She always gets excited to celebrate my big book donations and she encourages me on how to save my money from my book sales. If it was not for Anivesh Singh, Rowena Govender, Kevin Goosen and Kiru Naidoo I would have not been so successful today,” concluded Phooko. Anivesh Singh in collaboration with famous local author Kiru Naidoo started Booksellers of Mzansi 4 years ago. The booksellers sell mainly second-hand books which are donated by the public. They keep all the money from the sales of these “pre-loved” books. They also sell some books from Micromega Publications and earn a commission of each sale. The Durban Book Fair promotes local writers in Durban, by providing a free platform for local writers to launch and sell their books once a month at Mitchell’s Park. This platform also allows local authors the opportunity to launch their books.
