A man, who appears to be homeless, sits on the pavement eating a meal in Roeland Street, Cape Town. Picture: ARMAND HOUGH/INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Cape Town - Winter is on our doorstep and homelessness is on the rise in South Africa.
In a bid to shed light on the scourge and curb rising numbers, U-turn Homeless Ministries and Independent Media has joined forces and launched a campaign to raise R1 million to support U-turn's work and highlight the plight of the homeless.
The partnership is also calling on all South Africans to spend May 18, sleeping outside on the streets, in their gardens or on balconies in aid of raising R1m in funding for U-turn.
“A Night on the Streets” aims to raise R1m in cash through donations, and to move beyond Cape Town to encompass the whole of South Africa.
The campaign is aimed at understanding the depth of homeless issues in South Africa, and serves as a reminder that homelessness is not usuallly a matter of choice but is mostly caused by extraneous factors depending on the circumstances of the individual.
Regional editor of Independent Media’s Cape publications, Taariq Halim, said: “Homelessness is a growing problem all around us. It has almost become commonplace and as such, we have become blind to it.
“But as winter approaches and more people find themselves in these circumstances, something must be done to help them and reopen our eyes to the humanness of the problem around us.”
He said U-turn and Independent Media believed that “we can all do something, no matter how small, because many small things can grow into something meaningful.
One of those is to support organisations like U-turn which are on the ground making a difference we all want to see; so please be a hero and donate”.
“We are proud to support the work of U-turn Homeless Ministries and to partner with them for ‘A Night on the Streets' campaign. With over 14 000 people homeless in Cape Town alone, it makes sense to help however we can.”
The collaboration between the brands reinforces the publisher's own “Dignity Project”, launched by the Cape Argus in 2016/2017, which sought to give a voice to the homeless, and a project that continues currently, with opinion pieces still penned by Carlos Mesquita, a homelessness columnist.
Chief communications officer at U-turn Valerie Govender said: “U-turn is honoured to partner with Independent Media, a reputable media house with several successful titles across the country. We are grateful that as a brand they are fully behind this campaign and what it aims to achieve.
“Through their extensive reach and influence, Independent Media will help amplify the message of ‘A Night on the Streets' and shine a spotlight on the work of U-turn in supporting the homeless community.”
To learn more about 'A Night on the Streets' and how you can support U-turn Homeless Ministries, please visit www.homeless.org.za/night-out or contact Valerie Govender on valerie.govender@homeless.org.za
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