MUST WATCH: “We drink to cope…”

PIONEER PARK – Birthday parties, year-end functions, clubs, casinos, braai’s, and basically any gathering for a good time all have one thing in common, alcohol!

Read: Homeless couple yearn to be reunited with children

Although alcohol consumption is still, ironically, frowned upon by society, for many people it is a coping mechanism to get through the struggles of life.

Four homeless people and their little protector, Oore, have been seen begging at the intersection of Amajuba Mall and Newcastle Inn, as finding employment has been extremely difficult for them.

Casper Potgieter, his wife, and Allan and Collette Ritchie explained how difficult their lives were, and admitted their only way of coping was by drinking their sorrows away.

“The alcohol helps us cope with the struggles of the streets. We have been through so much, seen so many horrible things and life on the street is very difficult. We have been robbed and assaulted. We don’t bother anyone intentionally. Yes, we drink but it is only to soothe the pain being on the streets has caused,” said Casper.

Society doesn’t realise that even beggars need to gain courage to actually beg from people, knowing they will most likely be rejected, and sometimes the only thing that can defeat pride is alcohol.

The four victims of the harsh streets have battled to keep warm because they have too little and having a few drinks provides warmth and moments to escape their realities.

“We are good people who have just landed up in a bad situation and we just need to get out of Newcastle so we can have better lives,” pleaded Casper. “Our dog is our life. He is like our child. He eats better than us and we want to get off the streets so even he can have a better life.”

The little group try to sell bath salts and potpourri bags that they are making themselves to earn an income.

“No one gives us attention for long enough to even smell the product, to give us support. We get chased out of parking lots when we try to share our story to get help. We need to get out of Newcastle in order to get back on our feet,” explained Casper.

Casper and his wife require money to go to Harrismith and then make their way to Bethlehem, where they will seek employment.

Collette and Allan were trying to get money to go to Benoni where they have family who can accommodate them. “After the death of our son we have completely lost our way and even though we are still hurting, we are trying to make a decent living,” said Collette.

Fortunately, they received help and have since reached Benoni, seeking greener pastures.

When we lie in comfortable beds, with warm blankets and soft pillows, when we sit around a varnished table with fine cuisine, topped up wine glasses and shiny silverware, we seldom think about those less fortunate living on the cold, harsh streets.

As averagely privileged people, we sometimes don’t even take second looks at the boards held up by the dirty, scruffy un-shaved man that we rev passed at a traffic light.

And we often forget there is always more than meets the eye!

Sometimes all these beggars and homeless people need is for someone to listen to the stories that haunt their every waking moment and offer a smile in order to give them a speck of hope and a glimpse of light at the end of a horrific tunnel plagued with hunger, violence and intoxication.