Can one night really change someone’s mindset?
There is a man who sells Homeless Talk at the corner of William Nicole Drive and Republic Road. His name is Bernard Selabe and he is homeless.
Selable said he only completed Grade 5 but was looking for someone to help him get a certificate to operate a crane or something that would help him enter the building industry. When asked why, his reply was, “I am looking for something to change my life.”
Selable is one of the many homeless people in South Africa. He is hopeful about the future and, even though he has nowhere to live and stays out in the cold night after night, still manages to smile every day.
He told this newspaper that he sometimes manages to sell seven papers in a day – something he is very proud of. For him, this is a great achievement, but when you actually think about it – how can you live off the sale of seven papers a day?
Selable was at the CEO SleepOut on 18 June, handing out newspapers and mingling with the top brass of South Africa who had sacrificed their night to raise money for those less fortunate.
While I applaud the initiative and believe it was all done for a great cause, there were a few CEOs who, I believe, went in with the wrong mindset and did not get anything out of the night. Yes, the CEO SleepOut was great. It was a lot of fun and the money raised will do a lot of good … but the hope was that lives would be changed.
The hope was that attitudes would be changed.
As I walked around the event handing out newspapers with Selable, I found that a handful of CEOs were rude and obnoxious. They would turn their faces away as we approached, not wanting to be bothered. Now, I have some idea of what it feels like to be a beggar on the side of the road who motorists ignore because they are too busy to smile and say hello.
While I believe that the majority of people will think differently after the event and went into the event open minded and ready for change, I am saddened by the few who went into it with what seemed like resentment. There were a few people who seemed to not want to be there – to these people, I say ‘I am sorry’.
I am sorry you had a miserable night. I am sorry you were so closed-minded that an event like the CEO SleepOut was a waste of your time. Thank you for the money you gave toward the good cause, but that was not the whole point of the night.
The point was that you would look at men like Selable and think differently. The point was that you would know what it was like to sleep on the streets – and hopefully develop some empathy.
