Deepak Nandan, head of the department for Cleaning and Security, explained that dozens of cleaning ladies currently have to stay home because their 1-year contract has expired and cannot be extended. He also explained that new recruiters can be hired and that extensions can be granted to contracts but only with official permission. Due to the shortage of cleaners the nation’s schools can’t be cleaned optimally. The cleaners whose contracts have expired expressed grave concern as they are currently without any form of income. They explained that they assumed that their contract would be extended automatically. The cleaners made it clear that they currently cannot put food on the table for their families. The principals of the schools that are faced with a shortage of cleaners also expressed their concern and explained that the school must be a clean environment for teachers as well as students. Several principals explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic cleaners played a very important role because they were the first line of defense in the fight against the contagious disease. Cleaners were primarily the ones who sanitized the classrooms and the rest of the schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.