On a sunny winter’s afternoon in Cape Town, it is easy to become absorbed in the beauty of the city.

The blue skies, warm sunlight and busy streets can make it tempting to believe that everything is well.

But on the streets, another reality exists: one that many people walk past without a second thought.

It is the reality of people living on the streets.

For many, the sight of someone sleeping under a bridge, sitting on a pavement or pushing their belongings in a trolley has become part of the city’s landscape.

We see them, but often we do not really see them. We make assumptions about how they got there and, sometimes, we judge them without knowing their stories.

But perhaps the most important lesson is that it is not our duty to judge.

People living on the streets are still people with hopes, talents, friendships, memories and dreams.

Their circumstances may look different from ours, but their humanity is no different.

Beyond the label of homelessness

I recently did a feature article on Sally Roman, who has lived on the streets of Cape Town for more than 20 years.

She arrived in the city as a teenager, hoping to find a better life.

Her journey did not unfold as she had hoped, and circumstances eventually led her to a life on the streets.

Yet, sitting on the Fan Walk in Green Point, with a pair of scissors in her hand, Sally is not defined by homelessness.

She is a self-taught hairdresser. She loves children. She loved singing in her school choir. She describes herself as someone who gets along with everyone.

What is equally striking is the bond she has formed with the people around her.

Her friend speaks warmly about her after she cuts his hair. He is happy with the result, but his words reveal that the value of the interaction goes beyond a haircut.

He describes Sally as a nice person who is always happy.

These friendships remind us of something we often forget: people living on the streets build communities too.

They look out for one another. They share stories, laughter and sometimes the little they have.

They form genuine connections because, in a difficult environment, having someone who knows you, understands you and accepts you can mean everything.
Life on the street is undoubtedly difficult. It can expose people to violence, hunger, illness, loneliness and uncertainty.

But it can also create bonds that are difficult for those outside that world to understand.

During Women’s Month, Sally’s message that women should support one another is particularly powerful. She speaks against the tendency to put other women down and calls for more love between women.

Compassion starts with how we see others

Perhaps that message extends beyond women.

We all need to ask ourselves how we treat people whose lives look different from ours.

Compassion does not mean ignoring the challenges associated with homelessness. It means recognising the person behind the circumstances. It means understanding that not everyone chose to live on the street.

For many, a series of difficult circumstances, limited opportunities, family breakdown, poverty or other challenges led them there.

Sometimes, what a person needs most is not judgement, but a listening ear.

A conversation. A meal. A kind word. A moment of dignity.

We may not be able to change someone’s entire life, but we can choose how we respond to them.

Because the people on our streets are not simply people on our streets.

They are someone’s friend, someone’s parent, someone’s child and above all, they are human beings deserving of love, compassion and dignity.

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