Pinetown homeless plant seeds of hope at Lahee Park
The homeless told the Highway Mail that being housed at Lahee Park since the beginning of lockdown has made them feel worthy and their lives have changed for the better.
THE love that the homeless have felt at Lahee Park has given them hope for a better future.
Lahee Park is one of the 11 temporary shelters provided by the eThekwini Municipality during the nationwide lockdown.
ALSO READ: Homeless people housed at Pinetown’s Lahee Park during lockdown
The situation at Lahee Park has changed drastically since the camp was first started.
The homeless have felt at home in the park as sounds of laughter greet you at the gate.
“We are truly blessed, I can bravely say we have found our parents, brothers and sisters in this place, most of us have never felt such love.
“We feel at home, the people around us have shown us that we are also human beings and can make our lives better,” said 30-year-old, Lethukuthula Mbatha who said being dragged to the camp was not ideal for him as he preferred roaming around the streets.
“I was troublesome when I escaped on a few occasions and realised what I was doing is wrong and these people just want what’s best for us,” he said.
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Mbatha said he left his home in Clermont because of personal issues.
“When I realised my mistakes at the camp, I came back and apologised, I was welcomed with open arms.”
He stated that, they too would have loved to be able to take care of their families.
What captured the Highway Mail most at the camp was seeing a group of people working at a patch to start their own garden.
Mbatha and a group of friends are starting a garden to grow vegetables that they can cook for the people at the camp.
The gardening team said they would be grateful if people can support them by donating seeds to plant.
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At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
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