Massive clean-up campaign at Mamelodi hostel
The clean-up campaign was all about living in a healthy and clean environment.
An organisation that takes care of the homeless hosted a massive clean-up of the hostel blocks next to Mini Munitoria Mamelodi on Friday.
Thandanani Drop Inn Centre cleaned the area where the homeless and drug addicts live.
Kate Kekana from the centre said the clean-up campaign was all about living in a healthy and clean environment.
She said the campaign was a success and it was joined by the Tshwane multi-sectoral management aids unit and the Environmental Care Unit.
“The massive clean-up campaign was about restoring dignity, promoting health, and opening doors to social and employment opportunities to help individuals out of homelessness,” said Kekana.
Kekana said the preselected hotspots in the hostel known as Letjabeng, a hideout for drug addicts and the homeless, were targeted.
She said the homeless also got their hands dirty by picking up tons of waste from the surrounding areas.
The homeless were also encouraged to stop littering anywhere and instead burn the litter.
Kekana said the cleaning campaign was massive because the environment care unit helped by cleaning all the dirt inside the hostel blocks, cutting overgrown grass, and cleaning the hostel rooms.
“The centre helped in cleaning dirty laundry and blankets to keep the homeless clean and warm during the winter season,” she said.
“We brought washing machines, a generator, bathtubs, buckets, and washing soap to the old Mamelodi hostels and washed clothes and blankets for the homeless.”
Kekana said the laundry service is an ongoing project made available by Thandanani, which has been providing the homeless and drug addicts clean clothes and a daily shower.
She said these services are also available at the centre, “and twice a month we bring the services to the beneficiaries”.
Lindiwe Kubeka, a social auxiliary worker at the centre, said they provide for the psychosocial needs of the homeless and drug addicts, including meals and family reunification.
Kubeka said the centre also assists with referrals to rehabilitation centres as well as helping them apply for IDs and social grants.
She said the goal was to get the homeless to understand that the centre is there and cares for them by connecting them to service providers and helping them apply for unemployment social grants.
The members of the Tshwane multi-sectoral management aids unit also encouraged the beneficiaries to take care of their health.
“They need to be tested to know their status, and the sooner the better for their own health and others.”
Kekana added that the beneficiaries were happy as they brought more clothes for washing.
She further said there are a lot of needs at the hostel.
There are more than 30 hostel blocks where the homeless sleep, according to her.
Kekana said that this is an ongoing project, “and our plan is to bring more services to the hostel blocks by bringing religious organisations, Mamelodi stakeholders, and different departments who can assist the beneficiaries with much-needed services”.
The clean-up started at 08:00 with breakfast, followed by lunch and ended late.
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