Meet Ernan. He had made his living by being a bus driver for 14 years when the pandemic hit and he decided to return home. His job was very demanding, required long hours on the road, and had a stressful fast paced environment. He felt isolated throughout the day and missed being able to spend time with his family, but thought it was the only option due to his limited education.
However, during the pandemic, work slowed down and he was desperate to find more work. He had heard of Dignity because it was close to home and decided to apply. He got the job just three days later and immediately started. Ernan needed the money for school fees, food, and housing so he was thankful to not wait long. He was even more thankful to have a steady job when his son was hospitalized with appendicitis. A simple procedure cost more money that Ernan could have imagined and he was forced to borrow money. Ernan would pay any cost for his child to get better, and having a job helped him to start paying the medical bills.
Ernan shares, “My dream is for my children to be able to finish their studies so they won’t experience the hardships I did.” He works to be able to send his children to school and shows them what life can look like. Now that he has found a role at Dignity, he is not anxious anymore about putting food on the table. Their daily expenses are covered and Ernan has found a sense of purpose and community.
