Work is underway to revamp an existing building at the Durbanville taxi rank into a safe space for homeless people.
READ | Safe space in Durbanville ready by end of June
The building was used by the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement department for operational purposes previously.
The safe space or shelter will accommodate up to 40 people.
Future plans for the taxi rank include it being upgraded to the Durbanville Public Transport Interchange.
MES Durbanville, which has offered shelter to homeless people at its premises in Queen Street during the past week’s heavy rain and before in adverse weather, is seeking support from the public to be considered for the operation and management of the safe space.
The closing date for proposals is 15 June.
MES Durbanville has, in the past few years, made an enormous difference in the lives of homeless people in Durbanville, especially since they moved to their current premises in Queen Street end of 2020.
In the past year alone, contact was made with 1094 homeless people during outreach projects.
A total of 45 people were placed in shelters and 23 were taken to hospital.A total of 12 people were reunified with their families, while 72 were assisted to apply for Sassa grants and 27 to apply for their identity documents.
Chris Jantjies is one of the success stories of MES Durbanville, says Franita Knudsen, fundraiser, marketer, and centre manager of MES Durbanville.
“His story started in December 2022 on a Sunday morning, when volunteers handed out food during the holiday season. He started to attend the MES change readiness programme and his talent for electronics was discovered. Chris is currently running the e-waste project of MES Durbanville,” she says.
Eric slept at the Durbanville police station when he was referred to MES Durbanville.
ALSO READ | MES having remarkable success with homeless as E-waste changes their lives
After completing the MES change readiness programme, he was assisted to apply for an identity document, and a bank account he was able to go home, Knudsen says.
Patricia van der Ross, the City’s Mayco member for community service and health, says it is envisaged that the completion and opening of the safe space will be in the first quarter of the new fiscal year (between July and September 2023).
“The City’s social development and early childhood development department will manage the construction of the safe space and calls on non-profit organisations (NPOs) working with street people in Durbanville for the submission of business plans and/or proposals to operate the safe space. A facility management lease agreement will be entered into with the successful operator,” she says.
“The completed safe space will offer a safe place to sleep, to store personal belongings, provide meals and access to ablution facilities,” she says.
Knudsen told TygerBurger they need support to secure the selected service provider right for the new Durbanville safe space, which is scheduled to open in September.
“We believe shelter should be provided with rehabilitation, skills development, and reintegration. We are already working with the current group of people experiencing homelessness and are using our four-phased approach of outreach and relief, change readiness, work readiness and reintegration.
“To succeed, we require letters of recommendation from residents, community forums and community leaders, proving that most of our community favours MES as the selected service provider,” Knudsen says.
- Send emails of support to cptfundraising@mes.org.za or by WhatsApp to 082 440 7055 by 8 June.
