Prayer, games, and a warm meal were the basis for several organisations who celebrated World Homeless Day in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday. 

Caroline Holley, co-founder of Life Changer in Pietermaritzburg, said this was their fifth year addressing homelessness. Holley said they work together with different organisations: businesses and churches, to offer the community a chance to be involved in World Homeless Day, and also to provide their street-based community with the best possible day.

They hosted a luncheon at St Mary’s Church in Jabu Ndlovu Street.

“This year was no different. Our week started on Monday when we hit the streets and distributed arm bands inviting the homeless to lunch on Friday. These bright green arm bands were their ‘gate pass’ to lunch and also served as a reminder of the day,” she said.

Holley said they had a hair salon providing haircuts, various organisations providing sweet treats and refreshments, a ministry (prayer) time and clinic services on hand providing basic wound care. 

She said more than a dozen organisations, including the PMB Homeless network (PHN), were involved in the day and everything was donated in either physical goods (i.e. food,) services (decor,) or time.

“For us, it is a day when the lines between housed and unhoused get blurred, for a few hours. We play games, sit alongside and pray for our friends from the streets, and share moments of tremendous equal humanity,” she said.

Colley said the Inkunzi Isematholeni Foundation has taken over a building in PMB where a shelter for homeless people is provided. Colley said that she was not involved in the project, but prayed they would succeed because the PMB CBD needed a shelter.

“Our hope and intention are still to help create a premise providing holistic care to those who live on the street,” she said. The PHN is a coalition of like-minded organisations working together to end the crisis of homelessness in Pietermaritzburg.

Kantha Naidoo, director of the PHN, said that various organisations rallied together to give those living on the streets an enjoyable time. She said meals and refreshments were provided, and a host of games to entertain and stimulate the homeless. She said that some of the homeless had an opportunity to get their hair cut.

In the eThekwini Municipality progress is well underway on the Sakhithemba Shelter Project in Illovo, south of Durban. The shelter is expected to house 800 homeless people once it is completed. It is expected to provide safe accommodation, skills development, job opportunities, and access to essential social services for people experiencing homelessness.

Meanwhile the KZN Department of Social Development, in collaboration with Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS), commemorated World Homeless Day with a community-driven event held at Nkulu Hall in Ward 25, Gamalakhe. The event was led by Vusi Khoza, Director of care and support Services to families and Thobile Khuzwayo, UGu District Director.

The department said that the day aims to raise awareness about the challenges faced by homeless people while encouraging policy dialogue, community engagement, and the development of sustainable solutions to address homelessness.

Khoza said that while the commemoration is symbolic, its outcomes are both meaningful and far-reaching.

“It is a call to action – for communities to mobilise, for policies to evolve, and for society to better understand and address the root causes of homelessness,” he said.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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