Remar on a mission to help the ‘excluded people’

COMMUNITY of the South has a safe haven called Christian Centre Remar SA at The Hill. Its duty is to help the ‘excluded people’ to be reintegrated in the community to which they once belonged.

These people include the homeless, prostitutes, alcoholics and addicts. Entrance to the centre is free and immediate. There is no waiting period. The haven’s name, Remar, originates from the phrase ‘rehabilitation of the marginalized’.

Pastor Luis Domingues the national director of Christian Centre Remar SA said they have several houses in the South as well as in Benoni and Pretoria, where they house men, women and children in need. These houses are situated at 70, 3rd Avenue, The Hill, Johannesburg; 98, 100 Aschmann Road, Roseacre, Johannesburg; 48 Turf Club Street, Turffontein, Johannesburg; 59 Smit Street, Lilyvale, Benoni and at 15 Gemsbok Street, Theresa Park, Pretoria.

Road to recovery

“We have three phases that we employ when dealing with these people: detoxification, training and reintegration,” he said.

First phase – Detoxification. Recognising the need for help is often a difficult step for an addict, or anyone in need -whether destitute, homeless, abandoned or orphaned. It is particularly relevant that the accessibility to Remar means that there is always an opportunity for anyone to enter the centers. This illustrates one of the key principles of Remar: never refuse the person who needs help. The recovery centres are located outside the urban centres. Here, people learn another principle of Remar: the sharing of community life.

Second Phase – Training. After the physical and mental recovery process, Remar seek to prepare people for reintegration into family and society. It is a Remar conviction that rehabilitation and reintegration of beneficiaries in recovery centers involves occupying them in their free time. One of the ways Remar occupies people is to offer training activities that conform to the interests and availability of the facilities in the recovery centers. Examples of training include agriculture, carpentry, mechanical and construction. Other activities include cleaning and painting.

Third phase – Reintegration. Here people who have been assessed and found to be ready to continue their lives on their own, are helped to go back into society.

Christian Centre Remar SA depends on donations and sponsors, and sometime it is very difficult to make ends meet. That is why they appeal to the community of the South to help them in any way they can. Any kind of donation is welcome at the centre. They also have a detergent factory in one of their houses in Turffontein, where people can buy the goods in support of the facility.

“We also have handymen including an electrician, plumber, carpenter and bricklayer who help us. We therefore urge the people of the South to help so that we can help our fellow community members,” explained Pastor Domingues.

For more information or to donate to Christian Centre Remar SA which is situated at 70, 3rd Avenue, The Hill, contact Claire Ladner on remarrsa@gmail.com or 011 435 1725.

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