Rebuilding livelihoods hit by the pandemic

Those rendered jobless amid shutdowns look forward to regaining employment

Some 11 months ago when Covid-19 restrictions first paralysed the metropolis, thousands of people in Karachi were left without a definitive source of income. Businesses were indefinitely shut, transport was suspended and offices resorted to mass layoffs. There seemed little hope for betterment at the time. Many among the throngs of rural-to-urban-migrants who had once moved to the financial capital in hopes of finding better opportunities, suddenly had no choice but to board the first available bus back home.

However, with most restrictions eased and businesses slowly but surely opening, the financial capital appears to be finally inching towards normalcy, after what seemed like forever. Those who had left Karachi for their humble abodes, have started boarding busses back to the coastal city, in better times. Where some are confident about being re-employed by the same employer, others are hopeful about finding new avenues and opportunities.

“It is mostly the Pakhtun community which forms a majority construction workers in Karachi. Since projects were entirely suspended during the initial lockdowns, and most of us were daily wagers with nothing else to make a living out of in the city- we caught whatever transport we could find back to our hometowns,” said Atauallah, a construction worker. “It’s not like we are back to life before coronavirus as yet, but things are slowly getting better. I have come back to the city and so have some others. We sit long hours on the highway everyday but still get 5-6 working days a week- work maybe limited but I’m thankful it’s not absent. Many have also started looking for alternative sources of income in between, any labour work they can find,” he added.

According to Mohammad Rehan, who works in the mobile market, the past lockdowns had put many young people out of jobs. However, with schools, colleges and workplaces shifted online, his sector saw a sudden boom when markets started opening up. “We are still allowed limited hours to work, but since this is a well-working business at the moment, many students and young people who had lost their jobs have now turned to selling mobile related items in the market,” he told.

Syed Hamza, who used to run a printing business said that the coronavirus-induced lockdowns had completely starved his business. Since schools and colleges and various businesses were suspended, there was already little day-to-day work but the eventual restrictions on operating hours had driven him further into losses. “Thankfully, most if not all of the restrictions have been eased. On top of that, the wedding season has also helped revived our business. The financial situation is improving and I’m hopeful that we’ll soon resume normalcy,” the business owner expressed.

Similarly Kashif, who used to work as support staff at a private company but was rendered jobless following a mass layoff last year, said that him and his colleagues have started receiving reappointment letters from their workplace. “Conditions are improving and the company can now afford to hire us. However, those who weren’t called back have also started working elsewhere. Many have taken up jobs with food and other app-based delivery services. The new trend of app-based and online work has really helped keep a lot of people afloat in these troubling time,” Kashif told The Express Tribune

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2021.