LOCAL organisation, We Feed SA, is working on establishing a House of Opportunity at the premises in Stamford Hill, where former homeless people will be given accommodation and a trade so they can be reintegrated into society.
The non-profit organisation was formed at the beginning of lockdown by a group of different volunteers who got together to feed the homeless in shelters established by the municipality.
A group of 187 volunteers fed 11 000 meals a day at the peak of lockdown, and according to We Feed SA CEO, Zahid Fakey, while feeding, the group identified an opportunity to put in place a more sustainable model.
“As lockdown eased and volunteers started going back to work we realised we needed to do something that was sustainable. We want to be an organisation that helps people to become independent and self-sustainable, and to give people dignity. We started rechanneling our efforts to more than feeding, and thought of how we could create a safe place for the homeless, and through the group’s network, give them a skill or trade to give them jobs that will place them back into society,” he said. And so the House of Opportunity was born.
Zahid said they were focusing on identifying homeless people who were willing to make the change and would be looking at accommodating up to 30 people.
He said they aimed to open the house on 15 January.
While finalising the programme in June, six men were put in the shelter and each day taught a skill.
Five of the men are now employed and the other has been reintegrated with family in Northern KZN.
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“We have the right people to support the programme, and we have a social worker in place to work with us,” he said.
Zahid said the building was sponsored by Bash Rashid, and was being altered and fitted out.
They had funds donated by sponsors, and he also recently took on a cycle challenge where a friend pledged R100 for each kilometre he completed.
He raised R23 000 through this, and even though his target was R50 000, along with sponsors and other pledges, the amount was currently at R65 000.
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“We hope to get to R100 000. Pledges are still coming in and we encourage any other donations which will go to completing the house,” he said.
Zahid said the community can help either by volunteering time to their projects, creating awareness about the NPO, through sponsorship of funds or goods and through prayer.
If anyone can assist, they can contact Kathija on 064 511 7997, email: info@wefeedsa.org.
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