Actually, the customer in private to Anchangs food carts just just force. However, the market on Berlin’s Winterfeldplatz acts as extinct, despite blue skies and sunshine. Hardly anyone is interested in yams or “Barbecue Chicken”, which serves Anchang. “Most of my customers come from the offices in the vicinity. But they are all closed, the people working at home. Walk-in customers, there is hardly any,” says the native of Cameroon in the DW-Interview.
Some of the traders have not opened their stands, therefore, in the first place. For Anchang of the question. On each market day, he is there and hopes to clientele. But the pressure is growing: “I need to pay the bills. Maybe I must give up my business. But in the present Situation there are no Vacancies that I could apply for. And the state I don’t want to be on the bag.”
Afro-shops in front of the From?
Many self-employed is similar. Customers stay away out of fear of the Virus, Barber shops must remain due to the risk of infection closed, Restaurants may offer food only as a Take-Away. Over 90 percent of all companies in Germany feel according to the German chambers of industry and Commerce is already a negative impact. Every fifth company fears Bankruptcy.
Also, many African Restaurants, Barber shops and African shops hits hard. “How am I supposed to pay my rent and my employees, if this goes on?” complains the owner of the African Restaurants on the phone. An Interview would give. “I can be in this Situation, no clear thought.”
With Online courses against the crisis
So bad it’s not Ayo Nelson-Homiah yet. However, the Corona-crisis has also put his life on the head. “Actually, I should have today come back from Paris,” says the musician in a DW Interview. Nelson-Homiah, a native of the Gambia who earns his living with Workshops for African music. In Berlin, but also in the whole of Europe, he brings to children in schools and kindergartens to play African drums, or Balafon. Even in Singapore he already was. “Now, all Workshops have been cancelled, because the schools are closed. Corona everything off,” he says.
But his thing is to not Give up. The 61-Year-old is working on an Online course, so students can follow his Workshops, then from your home. Finally, he must earn in the crisis kind of money: “A couple of weeks, I’m going to come over the rounds,” he says. But at some point the return will be for all self-employed were just.
you can Also use Kalonji Tshabas life has changed as a result of the Corona epidemic a lot. 40 years ago, he came with his parents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Berlin. Now, he runs the nji-Music Box rehearsal rooms and recording studios for musicians in a Prime city location. Without Corona-crisis would be normally from lunch high. Musicians would practice in the tight rehearsal rooms and a recording Studio for your song recording, a children’s guitar or drums, learn to play.
“Glad to live here”
Instead, the Studio is closed due to the danger of infection. Tshaba trying since days, to keep his operating from home on the Run. “First of all, each day felt like a Sunday,” he says, laughing in a DW Interview. But for him, this time is not easy: “the sample we have of course fixed costs. If the customer does not come, we need to bridge the time somehow”. Now he hopes to get state help: “The opportunities provided to us are excellent. I know a lot of artists from Africa and since we can only be glad, when you live here.”
government assistance against the Bankrupt
Also private Anchang hopes for state help for his food Stand, the crisis survived. Up to 15,000 Euro from the Federal government and the country can get small and medium-sized companies in Berlin. The crowd is huge, a large part of the applications could not be processed therefore. Some entrepreneurs are even afraid that there is not enough money for all is there. But Anchang still hope: “thanks to the help from the state I could keep my business alive. I very much hope, because I also want to be able to after the crisis further to my earn a living.”
employees: Harrison Mwilima
author: Daniel Pelz
*The contribution of “African self-employed in the Corona-crisis” published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
Deutsche Welle
