Good news – after 6 months, we have managed to convince and arrange for John, Ursula and their 6 month old baby to leave Muizenberg and move in with family in Beaufort West.
They were living here in the park for over 5 years, then after the Law Enforcement clear out last week (hence the limited clutter on the photo below), moved to Diamante building (where a quite a few of the homeless have now moved into) but are now thankfully settled in Beaufort West and we hope that they will stay there and get support from John’s
family.
Here they are leaving Muizenberg station for Cape Town on Thursday this week, where they then caught a bus to Beaufort West. John and Ursula were the first 2 people who joined our initial beach clean-up exercise in October last year and it has taken a lot of time for them to trust us and realise that we are trying to help them. They said how tired they were of being interviewed by so many people from the City over the years which never led to anything. There was never space at shelters particularly for a couple and then impossible with a child as well. Shelters are also always of a temporary nature so where to after that…? They have been on the housing list in Ocean View but never succeeded. Both their ID books were lost in a Law Enforcement raid last year where they lost everything.
Annie, from outside the library has been at Somerset West shelter since 1 May and enrolled on several programmes. I met a few weeks ago with her adopted mother and her brother who are helping financially. I call her once a week and although she is finding it tough and quite an adjustment, but has been very grateful and trying to make it work. This last weekend, after a month at the shelter, Annie left on her own accord (finding abstaining from alcohol very difficult after 30 years of drinking) and we are all working on trying to find her and getting her to return. Thankfully the shelter will accept and help her.
Michael, who we got into the George shelter a few months ago, is still doing well there and looking for permanent employment to pay for his own accommodation.
Last week, we helped Owen get his ID book and SASA card lost in a Law Enforcement raid and have been in touch with his family in Atlantis who are willing to take him in. He has spent many years on the streets and will take some convincing to get him to leave Muizenberg. We will continue to work with him as I am concerned about his health and age as he will be 70 in a couple of months.
Graham (previously from under the bridge) has been off alcohol and off the streets for nearly 2 months now and doing well getting part time work as a plasterer. Oomie from under the bridge also left Muizenberg a few months ago to return to family in Mitchells Plain. Janine (known as big Janine) in the park will also be leaving Muizenberg next month to live with family in Mitchells Plain – she is 8 months pregnant and we will assist her where we can to avoid another baby being brought up in the park.
2 weeks ago we convinced Tracy – the tall lady, short dark hair and very ill looking (living next to SAPS in the park) to go to a shelter and thank you Truida for driving her through to Maitland for us!
2 weeks ago we helped Hein get his replacement ID and he has managed to get some part time work and applied this week for positions in the Strand and Kimberley which he wasn’t able to do without his ID. We will help him leave Muizenberg as soon as he has a position.
We are led to believe that Kirk (from New Zealand who has been on and off our streets for quite a few years) has recently found a permanent position at the navy in Simon’s Town. We can’t take credit for this but he was part of our weekend clean up crew and hope that helped him believe he can do more.
Nigel is another familiar face in Muizenberg over the years and returned recently after the evictions in Simon’s Town. We have helped him replace his ID book and hope we can find more work for him soon.
We have also helped Llewellyn and Erik with getting their ID books replaced. Both need to get onto a rehab programme but until we get them off the street, it won’t be effective. Neither of these 2 are willing to leave Muizenberg. Erik was born here and lived here for over 50 years. He won’t adjust in a shelter. Thank you Elizabeth for recently helping to drive Llewellyn through to hospital for us!
Several accommodation options have been identified in Muizenberg and we are most grateful to Cllrs Purchase and D’Alton in helping us to try and secure these. If the LE store room can be used, the Atlantic Road group have promised to move lock, stock and barrel into them.
To date, we have collected data on over 40 homeless people with a quarter of them being non-Muizenberg folk. 17 people have been helped into shelters or returned to communities of origin.
Thanks to MID and Safer Together, we have managed to keep the weekend cleaning project going for 6 months now and have funding to the end of June. It has made a huge difference to a group of 10 people and helped to restore dignity and teach them about responsibility and commitment. We give away 5 places each Saturday and the first ones start waiting outside the clinic at 5am to get a bib at 8h30!
Maryatta has started capturing some of the faces of our homeless which includes some of them on the clean-up project – see
https://plus.google.com/photos/104142766953392417763/albums/6008778646157868081?authkey=CIOt6rmw07LEbQ This will be ongoing and we hope to exhibit some of these locally in a responsible giving campaign over the next few months.