Gilda Zandamela, Gwen Majuza and Mary Gillet-de Klerk at the Josh office in Ferndale.
The founder and CEO of the Johannesburg Organisation of Services to the Homeless (Josh), Mary Gillet-de Klerk is adamant that an amicable solution could remedy the plight of homeless people.
Gillet-de Klerk’s non-governmental organisation, which was formed in 2013, provides a family reunification and social cohesion service to homeless people.
Randburg’s first homeless shelter, job skills training, self-created work and cheap apartments, was initially planned to link homeless people to soup kitchens.
Scores of homeless people gather at the organisation’s office located at the Methodist church in Ferndale to receive a meal, wash their clothes and bath.
It welcomes donations and seeks volunteers.
Mary Gillet-de Klerk and Gilda Zandamela help homeless people with counselling.
This NGO has since been contracted by the City of Johannesburg Social Development Department to provide services for the homeless on behalf of the City.
Gillet-de Klerk said she was working with the City to find a proper location where homeless people could be accommodated in Region B.
“We will be going out with City entities to various hotspots. As opposed to raids, we will… refer homeless people to a shelter which they can go to,” she said.
This is an effort which will help them get involved in the NGO’s social development programmes and skills training.
Meanwhile, while they are trying to establish a shelter for homeless people, some of their beneficiaries would be referred to a shelter in Windsor to partially solve the problem in Randburg.
“We now have two qualified social workers and we will do mobile counselling and create awareness,” she said.
She said they have involved local authorities and were endeavouring to partner with different people and organisations, which could be part of the solution.
“This will allow us to deal with this huge social problem in our midst. We still deal with people who continue to live on the streets,” she said.
The new social worker, Gilda Zandamela and Josh CEO Mary Gillet-de Klerk at Randburg Methodist church.
Homeless people are allowed to charge their phones at the organisation’s offices, are offered the opportunity to draft their CVs and simultaneously taught to use a computer so they can be employable.
She said homeless people were not lazy, as perceived by society, but the multifaceted approach can help, rather than just giving someone money.
The City of Johannesburg media relations specialist, Ayanda Radebe confirmed that they were working with Josh to remedy this plight.
“The City is working with a number of non-governmental organisations for the different needs of people living and working on the streets and Josh is one of those NGOs,” said Radebe.
She said the City had contracted Josh to assist in providing services to displaced persons in region B, and the NGO is at liberty to reapply when their contract ends in June this year.
Become a member of our WhatsApp community by sending your name and surname to 079 439 5345.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
